Q.What is Biopiracy ?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Biopiracy is the exploitation of a nation's/community's biological resources and traditional knowledge without consent or fair compensation.
Biopiracy refers to the process by which biological resources (plants, animals, microorganisms, their genetic material) and the traditional knowledge of indigenous or local communities about their use are accessed, appropriated and commercially exploited -- often through patents -- by individuals, corporations, or institutions (frequently from developed countries) without proper authorization, acknowledgment of source, or fair sharing of benefits with the country/community of origin.
Classic examples (relevant to India):
- Neem patent -- a US company/agency was granted a patent on the fungicidal properties of neem, a use that had been known and practised in India for centuries; the patent was later successfully challenged and revoked.
- Turmeric patent -- a patent granted in the USA on turmeric's wound-healing property (traditional Indian household knowledge) was revoked after India provided documentary evidence of prior use.
- Basmati rice case -- a US company attempted to patent certain hybrid rice lines and use the name basmati, a term and grain variety traditionally associated with the Indian subcontinent. …
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