Genetically Modified Seeds, Intellectual Property Protection and the Role of Law in Transnational Perspective

Abstract

This paper tries to provide a fresh insight on a highly disputed, although very sectorial topic, represented by intellectual property protection on genetically modified seed and, in general, on agricultural biotechnology products. Both because of the wide employ of seeds and plant varieties in agriculture and for the international relevance of intellectual property protection, domestic perspectives on this very topic soon become obsolete, partial and useless. Intellectual property protection on agricultural biotechnology products is a charged topic for a number of reasons. First of all, seeds are the starting point of very complex value chains in all economies. That does not relate exclusively to food. Indeed, plants have now a role in a wide number of very diverse industries such as biofuels or textiles or construction materials. Most of all, seeds are indispensable for the production of vegetables, for a large part of the worldwide population the primary, if not exclusive, ingredient of the daily diet.