Intellectual Property Rights on Research Tools: Incentives or Barriers to Innovation? Case Studies of Rice Genomics and Plant Transformation Technologies
Abstract
This paper examines the role of patents in the development and
use of two platform technologies for plant biotechnology—plant
transformation techniques and structural genomics. We find that
patents were important in inducing private firms to develop
these platform technologies. Their development led to the commercialization
of more genetically modified (GM) varieties more
rapidly than would have been the case otherwise. We identified
some examples of research and GM variety marketing that were
slowed down by the patents on tools. However, our preliminary
assessment of the evidence suggests that the benefits from patents
on tools outweigh the costs.
Citation
AgBioForum, 8(2&3): 108-117.