TWN Info Service on Intellectual Property Issues (Feb14/04)
4 February 2014
Third World Network

Dear friends and colleagues,

The WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore is meeting this week in Geneva on 3-7 February for its 26th session.

As we reported in the last mailing titled "WIPO negotiations on IP and Genetic Resources to resume amidst major differences" dated 3 February, a major issue of contention will be the disclosure requirement provisions proposed by developing countries to prevent biopiracy of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

As a contribution to the WIPO intergovernmental negotiations we are pleased to share with you 2 recent case studies that underscore the importance of disclosure requirements and other measures to address biopiracy and ensure that there is fair and equitable benefit sharing from the use of genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

The two cases researched and documented by Edward Hammond, Director of Prickly Research (Texas, USA) are:

1.  "Better Beer Biopiracy: Indian Farmers’ Barley Patented by Japanese Brewer"; and

2.  "The African Cancer Drug Claimed by Bristol Myers, Novartis, and Bayer".

With best wishes,

Third World Network