The Protection Of Material and Intellectual Property Rights On Medicinal Plants

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d) In biotechnologically developed new varieties and transgenic plants, even if the plant species are somehow ascribed to a particular country, what of the almost globally distributed micro-organisms used in the process?

e) Natural products cannot be patented but the processing of the products can be. Product patenting is coming into force, but will not be easy to implement.

Clearly, all the issues related to the protection of material and intellectual property rights on medicinal plants are steeped in controversies. Each party interested in the issue tries to gain the maximum advantage. While the need for protection is recognised, the means are not agreed upon. Very serious efforts on the part of the scientific community and the Government of India are needed to evolve internationally acceptable patent rights legislation.

REFERENCES

Dhar, B. and Nagaraja Rao, C. 1999. Plant breeders and farmers in the new intellectual property regime: conflict of interests? In Biotechnology, biosafety, and biodiversity. (eds.) Shantharam, S. and Montgomery, J.F. Science Publishers, Inc., New Hampshire. pp 177-190.

Gadgil, M. and Devasia, P. 1995. Intellectual property rights and biological resources: specifying geographical origins and prior knowledge of uses. Curr. Sci., 69: 637-639.

Ganguli, P. 1998. Gearing for patents: the Indian scenario. Universities Press, Hyderabad.

Prakash, S. 1999. The IPR debate for India. In Biotechnology, biosafety, and biodiversity. (eds.)

Shantharam, S. and Montgomery, J.F. Science Publishers, Inc., New Hampshire. pp 225-226.

Seghal, S. 1999. The IPR controversy and the Indian seed industry. In Biotechnology, biosafety, and biodiversity. (eds.) Shantharam, S. and Montgomery, J.F. Science Publishers, Inc., New Hampshire. pp 207-218.

Swaminathan, M.S. 1993. A plant variety protection for India. Vatika, winter, pp 7-12.