Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

Rational Risk/Benefit Analysis Of Genetically Modified Crops, Stanley P. Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

Safety concerns over the use of molecular biotechnology in the improvement of crops has generated substantial, heated and confusing debates, often driven by ideology and hysterics. Modification of crops is not new, and biotechnology (in its broadest sense) has been used for over a century to accelerate the development of new crops for food, feed and fibre, so as to meet the demands of a growing global community. The introduction of crops developed via molecular biotechnology [Genetically Modified Crops (GMCs)] represents the latest step in this inexorable innovative progression of technology. However, misinformed concern has led to a broad embrace …

The Problem Of Social Cost In A Genetically Modified Age, Paul J. Heald, James C. Smith

Scholarly Works

In Part I of this Article, we apply the Coase Theorem and its most useful corollary to the problem of pollen drift. We conclude that the liability of pollen polluters should be governed by balancing rules against nuisance law, to be applied on a case-by-case basis, rather than by a blanket liability or immunity rule. We also conclude that truly bystanding non-GMO farmers should have a viable defense to patent infringement because liability would result in the application of a reverse Pigovian tax that cannot be justified under accepted economic theory. Only a contextual approach can account for the wide …

A Complete Property Right Amendment, John H. Ryskamp

ExpressO

The trend of the eminent domain reform and "Kelo plus" initiatives is toward a comprehensive Constitutional property right incorporating the elements of level of review, nature of government action, and extent of compensation. This article contains a draft amendment which reflects these concerns.

Bond Repudiation, Tax Codes, The Appropriations Process And Restitution Post-Eminent Domain Reform, John H. Ryskamp

ExpressO

This brief comment suggests where the anti-eminent domain movement might be heading next.

Pollen Drift And The Bystanding Farmer: Harmonizing Patent Law And Common Law On The Technological Frontier, Paul J. Heald, James C. Smith

Popular Media

Patent law provides an impressive laundry list of defenses available to farmers who are the victims of unwanted pollen drift. The common law works hand-in-hand with patent law to ensure that a farmer’s choices are respected. Strong arguments can be made that positive economic relief should be afforded to farmers who can show the value of their crop has been diminished due to pollen drift. GMO pollen drift is a new, high-tech problem, but well-established principles of federal and state law appear prepared to offer viable low-tech solutions.

Taking The Stand: The Lessons Of The Three Men Who Took The Japanese American Internment To Court, Lorraine K. Bannai

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Breaking The Bank: Revisiting Central Bank Of Denver After Enron And Sarbanes-Oxley, Celia Taylor

ExpressO

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Duties And Obligations Of The International Legal Community To The Eradication Of Poverty And Growth Of Sustainable Development In Light Of The Jus Cogens Nature Of The Declaration Of The Right To Development, Freda R. Murray-Bruce

ExpressO

This paper examines the copious problem of world poverty affecting half of the world’s population in the South and assesses the international legal obligations of the international legal community, viz., developed states, transnational corporations and the international financial institutions of the IMF, World Bank and WTO to the eradication of poverty and the growth of sustainable development, in view of the inviolability and peremptory nature of the Charter of the UN, and the international human rights provisions arising therefrom. To this extent, we examine the 1986 General Assembly Declaration on the Right to Development, along with the other International Bill …

Using Intellectual Property Rights To Preserve The Global Genetic Commons: The International Treaty On Plant Genetic Resources For Food & Agriculture, Laurence R. Helfer

Faculty Scholarship

Over the last twenty years, national governments, patent owners, farmers, plant breeders, researchers, and a diverse array of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have engaged in a vigorous debate over how to conserve and utilize the world's plant genetic diversity. On one side of this debate are advocates of a pure global commons regime, which would allow researchers, breeders, and farmers free and unfettered access to all plant genetic resources (PGRs), including those held in international seed banks, in national collections, and in situ on public lands. On the other side are advocates of a private property approach, which seeks to encourage …

Intellectual Property Protection In Philippine Agriculture: A Developmental Perspective, Salvador B. Belaro Jr.

Cornell Law School J.D. Student Research Papers

This paper is premised on the debate on whether intellectual property protection furthers economic development in developing countries. One view is that more is better, arguing that intellectual property rights trigger research and technological advancement. The other view is that more means not better, but worse. Advocates of this view claim that developing countries, being "second comers" in a world where developed countries got a head start in development are confronted with rules imposed by the "first comers", intellectual property rules included, which are of course, designed by the latter to serve their interests

This note suggests two general approaches …

Of Straying Crops And Patent Rights, Drew L. Kershen

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Property Rights In Plant Varieties: An Overview With Options For National Governments, Laurence R. Helfer

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Rhetoric Of Biopiracy, Paul J. Heald

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The article critiques the rhetorical strategy of advocates for long-term occupant communities (LTOCs) seeking sui generis intellectual property rights to combat biopiracy. While their goals are admirable, the approach is ineffective due to widespread skepticism towards expanding intellectual property rights. The author argues that market-based solutions and alliances with corporations could better preserve biodiversity and compensate communities.

Looking Beyond Intellectual Property In Resolving Protection Of The Intangible Cultural Heritage Of Indigenous Peoples, Robert K. Paterson, Dennis S. Karjala

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The article examines the challenges indigenous peoples face in protecting their intangible cultural property, such as songs, legends, and ceremonies, under existing intellectual property (IP) and legal regimes. It argues that while indigenous claims for protection are legitimate, recognizing new IP rights may not be necessary or appropriate. Instead, the authors propose that existing legal frameworks, such as contract law, privacy, trade secret, and trademark law, could provide more effective and balanced solutions. They advocate for a nuanced approach that respects indigenous cultural heritage while maintaining compatibility with public domain interests and free expression.

Weeds, Seeds & Deeds: Recent Skirmishes In The Seed Wars, Keith Aoki

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The article examines the commodification of seed germplasm, tracing its evolution through technological advancements and legal frameworks that have transformed seeds from a shared resource into a corporate-controlled commodity. It critiques how intellectual property laws, particularly patent protections, have prioritized corporate interests over traditional farming practices and biodiversity. The analysis highlights the tension between private property rights and the commons, advocating for a balanced approach that considers both intellectual property and the preservation of genetic diversity.

Should China Provide Intellectual Property Protection For Genetically Modified Animals?, Ke Geng

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

The advent of recombinant genetic engineering techniques has revolutionized biotechnology. The biomedicine and biotechnology industries have extensively employed these techniques to improve the quality of agricultural crops and livestock and to create genetically modified organisms ("GMOs") in order to produce drugs. Since as much as twenty-five percent of the world's intellectual property-related trade involves biotechnology, many countries have realized the importance of providing intellectual property protection for biotechnological technologies, including GMOs. In the past decade, China's booming economy has helped make its biotechnological market the fastest growing market in the world. To stimulate innovation and attract private investment in its …

U.S. Plant Variety Protection: Sound And Fury...?, Mark D. Janis, Jay P. Kesan

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This Article offers a critical reassessment of U.S. approaches to intellectual property protection for plant innovation. Three developments make this reassessment timely. First, the Supreme Court has finally confirmed that utility patent claims to plants and seeds satisfy the 35 U.S.C. Section 101 subject matter eligibility requirement. Plant innovation in the United States is now subject to utility patent protection, as well as concurrent protection under the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA). However, little work has been done to explain the role of PVPA protection in a system of concurrent protection, or to develop a coherent policy vision within which …

Sustainable Agriculture, Patent Rights, And Plant Innovation, Mark D. Janis

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

Patents And Traditional Knowledge Of The Uses Of Plants: Is A Communal Patent Regime Part Of The Solution To The Scourge Of Bio Piracy, Ikechi Mgbeoji

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

The World Trade Organization: Environmental Police?, Jane I. Yoon

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The note examines the tension between the World Trade Organization's (WTO) primary goal of promoting free trade and its efforts to address environmental concerns. While the WTO has established mechanisms like the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) to reconcile trade and environmental issues, critics argue that its framework prioritizes trade over environmental protection. The note concludes that the WTO's environmental aspirations are commendable but ultimately impractical due to the inherent conflict between trade liberalization and environmental goals.

Of Seeds And Shamans: The Appropriation Of The Scientific And Technical Knowledge Of Indigenous And Local Communities, Naomi Roht-Arriaza

Michigan Journal of International Law

This article recasts the debates over access to, and control over, genetic and biological knowledge and resources in terms of the appropriation of indigenous and local communities' knowledge and resources. It first discusses recent examples of appropriation as currently conducted by global biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and agribusiness corporations and their associates in Northern universities, seed and gene banks, and research centers. Second, it describes and exposes the mechanisms of appropriation by focusing on the limited and culturally determined definitions of what is "wild" as opposed to "cultivated," what is "knowledge" and who can possess it, and what are "innovations" and "inventions." …

Protecting Biodiversity: Recognizing International Intellectual Property Rights In Plant Genetic Resources, Rebecca L. Margulies

Michigan Journal of International Law

Accelerating deforestation in many tropical countries with the concomitant loss of plant species diversity incites increasing international concern. Until very recently, international environmental law tended to regard natural plant species as a "common heritage," a universal resource immune to private property claims. This common heritage approach to the problem of biodiversity loss has left the majority of plant species in a jurisprudential void, unprotected by property rights and subject to conflicting claims by countries with divergent goals. Unrelieved economic pressures force impoverished peoples in species-rich developing nations to resort to activities that ravage the forests, and the tragedy of biodiversity …

Intellectual Property Protection For The Creative Chef, Or How To Copyright A Cake: A Modest Proposal, Malla Pollack

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Patentability Of Genetically Engineered Life-Forms: Legal Issues And Solutions, 25 J. Marshall L. Rev. 119 (1991), Matthew B. Tropper

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Patents--Prior Publication-Application Of Section 102(B) To Plant Patents, Ira J. Jaffe S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Appellant applied for a plant patent on two roses which he had developed. The Patent Office Board of Appeals affirmed the final rejection of the application on the basis of section 102(b) of the patent statute. Pictures and classifications of the varieties of roses sought to be patented had appeared in printed publications more than one year before appellant's application. On appeal, held, reversed. In order to bar issuance of a plant patent, a description in a printed publication must convey such knowledge as to place the invention within the public domain. In re LeGrice, 301 F.2d 929 …

Trade Marks And Trade Names - Unauthorized Use Of Registered Vessels - Search Warrant, Reed T. Phalan

Michigan Law Review

A number of milk bottles bearing registered marks of various dairies were seized from the possession of plaintiff dairyman by defendant deputy sheriff, under a search warrant issued by defendant district judge, upon affidavit and showing by defendant deputy commissioner of agriculture that the bottles were being unlawfully used. Notice was given of a hearing to be held before the judge to determine the persons entitled to possession of the seized property. Plaintiff brought this action for an original writ of prohibition to restrain further proceedings, charging that the search warrant section of the statute under which the proceedings were …