Biological and Social Issues in Biotechnology Sharing

First published in 1998, this was the first book to present a comprehensive summary of both the global as well as institutional issues which are involved in biotechnology sharing. It covers the controversial subject of intellectual property rights (IPR) and the patenting of new discoveries in genetic knowledge in both agriculture and the human genome. One controversial issue is the creation of public and private DNA sequencing data bases. Of special interest is the sharing of biotechnology between the developed (rich) and developing (poor) nations. A related topic which requires immediate attention is the exploitation of biodiversity in the developing countries and the resulting extinction of rare species. Sharing or transferring biotechnology and its applications between institutions or different countries raises numerous ethical and moral dilemmas. A comprehensive summary of these issues is presented in this book.

1. Introduction. 2. Biotechnology and Society. 3. Patenting Culture in Science. 4. Patenting Micro-Organisms: the Chakrabarty Case. 5. Different Types of Biotechnological Innovations. 6. International Treaties. 7. Safety Considerations for Transgenic Organisms. 8. Intellectual Property Rights and Plant Genetic Resources. 9. Conservation of Medicinal Plants. 10. Patenting cDNA Sequences: the NIH Controversy. 11. NIH Patent Policy. 12. Patenting Human Gene Therapy. 13. IPR in a North-South Context. 14. Is a Uniform IPR System Necessary? 15. Ethical Issues in Transfer of Technology.