Intellectual Property and Genetically Modified Organisms: A Convergence in Laws

Taking a global viewpoint, this volume addresses issues arising from recent developments in the enduring and topical debates over Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and their relationship to Intellectual Property (IP). The work examines changing responses to the growing acceptance and prevalence of GMOs. Drawing together perspectives from several of the leading international scholars in this area, the contributions seek to break away from analysis of safety and regulation and examine the diversity of ways the law and GMOs have become entangled. This collection presents the start of a much broader engagement with GMOs and law. As GMO technology becomes increasingly more complex and embedded in our lives, this volume will be a useful resource in leading further discussion and debate about GMOs in academia, in government and among those working on future policy.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Intellectual Property and Genetically Modified Organisms, BerrisCharnley, CharlesLawson; Chapter 2 Cui bono ? Gauging the Successes of Publicly-funded Plant Breeding in Retrospect, BerrisCharnley; Chapter 3 ‘The Story of a Love Spurned’, StephenHubicki; Chapter 4 Competition in the Agricultural Seeds Sector, CharlesLawson; Chapter 5 Regulating for Traditional Innovation in Agricultural Organisms, KarinneLudlow; Chapter 6 Myriad Genetics and the Remaining Uncertainty for Biotechnology Inventions, DianneNicol; Chapter 7 Just Label It, MatthewRimmer; Chapter 8 Unnaturally Natural, JaySanderson, FranHumphries; Chapter 9 Information About Information About Information, KieranTranter;

About the Author :
Charles Lawson is a recognized expert in the international scholarship on intellectual property, and in particular patenting biologicals and the issues of access and benefit sharing under international law. Berris Charnley is a historian of science. He is interested in seeds, genes, farms and food. Berris has published on the history of intellectual property in the biosciences, the historical construction of British food safety regulations in the 19th century and on developments in contemporary plant science.

Review :
’This collection offers a range of stimulating, original, and well-researched new work that will prove valuable to students of intellectual property, policy practitioners, and scholars in history and philosophy of science.’ Nicolas Rasmussen, University of New South Wales, Australia ’Patents on GMOs raise various concerns as they vest disproportionate power in a few large corporations. How worried should we be? This enlightening volume covers all the relevant issues in a comprehensive, insightful fashion, going further than any other book towards finding the answers we need as scholars and citizens.’ Graham Dutfield, University of Leeds, UK ’Charnley and Lawson’s timely volume provides not only essential accounts of disputes over intellectual property in GMOs in and out of the courts, but a gathering of historical and contemporary assessments of legislation, regulation, and policy concerning genetically engineered plants, animals, and fish. A goldmine of information and analysis, authoritative in detail while readily accessible in the clarity of its presentations.’ Daniel J. Kevles, Yale University, USA