[Patents] [Fwd: US firm's patent on basmati strain sparks outrage in India]

[seth.johnson@RealMeasures.dyndns.org (Seth Johnson)]

(Forwarded from Protecting Knowledge list)

-------- Original Message --------
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 22:43:30 -0700
From: Don <dbain@telus.net>

-------- Original Message --------
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 16:58:16 -0400
From: "Dionne Stout,Tamara [NCR]" <Tamara.DionneStout@ec.gc.ca>

PUBLICATION        Agence France Presse English
   DATE               Wed 22 Aug 2001
   SECTION/CATEGORY   International News
   BYLINE             By Biman Mukherji
   STORY LENGTH       440

US firm's patent on basmati strain sparks outrage in India

NEW DELHI, Aug 22 (AFP) - The granting of a patent to a US firm on
varieties of superfine basmati rice, which has been grown in Himalayan
foothills for centuries, sparked fears Wednesday that India could lose
out on millions of dollars worth of exports.

Opposition politicians forced an adjournment of both houses of
parliament on Tuesday as they attacked the government waving copies of
newspapers which reported that RiceTec had been issued a patent on
basmati by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

India exports more than five billion rupees (100 million dollars) of the
long-grained fragrant rice each year.

And the industry said politicians must protect India's vast
biodiversity.

"No variety of basmati rice can be developed without the original
germplasm. At the very least, India should get a share as royalty of any
such variety," Sompal (Eds: one name), former agriculture minister, told
AFP.

"We must not relinquish claim on our share of revenues," he added.

Sompal, now a senior member of India's Planning Commission, said any
variety of the basmati grown elsewhere in the world can not possibly
retain the typical aroma and flavour of the rice which has made it world
famous.

He argued that indigenous products such as basmati which have existed
for years should not be allowed to be patented as no one could lay claim
to them.

Anyone laying claim to such a generic name must suitably demonstrate
that he has come out with something new based on research, he added.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has said there should be "no
misappropriation" of Indian biological and genetic resources.

T.S. Vishwanath, consultant on international trade for the Confederation
of Indian Industry (CII), said there might not be an immediate impact on
exports, but there could be problems in the future.

"In the long run you may have varieties of rice being touted as
basmati," he said.

The underlying fear is that such a move could be repeated for a host of
other Indian products which could potentially damage their worldwide
market potential.

"Our problem is we have always been reacting to such situations rather
than thinking ahead and acting one step before anybody else," said
Sompal.

Trade experts said India should get protection on products based on
geography, just as champagne and Scotch whisky have.

Vishwanath said India should make an effort at the next round of
trade-related Intellectual Property Rights talks under the World Trade
Organisation to get indigenous products classified under "geographical
indicators".

A list of 150 such products has already been submitted to the WTO,
including a type of mango, known as Alphonso, and Kolhapuri chappals
(intricately-carved slippers).    
   
__________________________________________
Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat (Canada)
 on the Convention on Biological Diversity
Place Vincent Massey, 9th Floor
351 St. Joseph Blvd.
Hull, PQ  K1A 0H3   Canada
Tel: 819.953.5819
Fax: 819.953.1765
tamara.dionnestout@ec.gc.ca

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