Ns Bio Piracy

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BIO-PIRACY

INTRODUCTION

BioPiracy refers to the practice of corporations, academic institutions and governments in claimingownership, or taking unfair advantage, of biological resources such as seeds and genetic material without the

permission of the indigenous peoples or communities who have nurtured those resources. Biopiracy can also

refer to the theft of traditional knowledge or technologies from those cultures.

ioProspecting describes the appropriation of traditional knowledge for profit through commercialization of

ew chemicals, drugs and medicines.

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SomeFamousBio-PiracyCasesAroundTheWorld

Rosy Periwinkle, a plant native to Madagascar but widely introduced to other tropical countries, has long been

cultivated for herbal and traditional medicine to treat diabetes, malaria and Hodgkins disease. Western

pharmaceutical companies have begun extracting substances from the plant to treat leukemia. Accusations of

biopiracy have arisen because patents have been placed on these substances, with no compensation paid to

indigenous communities.

(http://www.nybg.org/images/flowering/Rosy_Periwinkle.jpg)

The Neem Tree is a hardy, fastgrowing, droughttolerant evergreen native to India, Myanmar, Bangladesh,and Pakistan. It is known by many names: the Divine Tree, Heal All, Natures Drugstore, Village Pharmacy, andPanacea for all Diseases. All parts of the tree are used for their proven medicinal properties. It is known to

have antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and sedative properties. It is also purported to be an effective

treatment for diabetes and infertility, as well as for parasitic infections. The Neem Tree is a major component

of traditional Hindu medicine (Ayurveda), and is often prescribed for skinrelated conditions. In 1995, the US


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Department of Agriculture and a pharmaceutical research company received a patent on a technique to extract

an antifungal agent from the Neem Tree. The patent was eventually overturned in 2005 after the Indian

government responded to a widespread public outcry, and initiated legal action.

(http://www.jekubi.com/wpcontent/uploads/2008/03/neemtree.jpg)

The Mayocoba Bean is a variety of Mexican yellow bean that has been a staple in Latin American diets for more

than a century. A US farmer and entrepreneur, Larry Proctor, imported some mayocoba beans from Mexico

and grew them on his farm in Colorado. He renamed them Enola, and in 1999, he obtained a patent for the

bean based on its distinctive shade of yellow. Proctor then began suing a large number of Mexican yellow

bean exporters, who had been exporting this bean for years, resulting in a decrease of over 90 in export sales,

and massive economic damage to more than 22,000 farmers in northern Mexico who depended on the sale of

this bean. The patent was eventually revoked in May 2008 after an application was brought before the US

Patent and Trade Office.

(http://www.foodsubs.com/Photos/maicobabeans.jpg)

ONEOFTHEFIRSTKNOWNCASESOFB ACY ASPIRINIO-PIR

The leaves and bark of the willow tree (Salix

sp.) have long been used as a traditional remedy for aches andfever by the Assyrians, Sumerians and Ancient Egyptians. For indigenous peoples across North America, the

willow tree and Spiraea(also known as Meadowsweet) was an essential component of medicinal treatments

this is because both these plants contain compounds called salicylates that were precursors to aspirin. One o

the first known cases of biopiracy occurred with the discovery of this aspirin by Bayer AG, a German
http://www.foodsubs.com/Photos/maicobabeans.jpghttp://www.foodsubs.com/Photos/maicobabeans.jpg


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chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in 1863. By 1899, Bayer had isolated the specific active

compounds in these plants, called the new drugAspirinand sold it around the world

CONSIDE ATIO ANDCHALLENGESR NS

The United Nations International Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) believes that bioprospecting

greements can be made on "access and benefit sharing" to overcome biopiracy, however many indigenousa

groups disagree.

Given that almost 90 percent of the worlds biodiversity lies within the territories of indigenous peoples,

whether the Amazon, the Indian subcontinent, or the oldgrowth forests of Canada, both biopiracy and bio

rospecting pose challenges for indigenous peoples around the world. Noted activist, Alejandro Argument of

he Quechua people has stated:

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Bio-prospecting is likewakingup inthemiddleofthenighttofindyourhousebeingrobbed. Onthe

wayoutthedoor,thethievestellyounottoworrybecausetheypromisetogiveyouashareofwhatever

profittheymakesellingwhatusedtobelongtoyou.

FurtherInformation

Biopiracyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopiracy#The_Neem_Tree

Captain Hook Awards for Bio-Piracyhttp://www.captainhookawards.org/biopiracy

Erosion, Technology and Conservation (ETC) Grouphttp://www.etcgroup.org/en/issues/

Intellectual Property Handbook Bioprospecting, Traditional Knowledge and Benefit Sharinghttp://www.iphandbook.org/handbook/ch16/

Neem Tree A Case History of Bio-Piracyhttp://www.twnside.org.sg/title/pir-ch.htm

Patents and Biopiracyhttp://nativeharvest.com/node/249

Rosy Periwinklehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosy_Periwinkle

US Patent Office rejects company's claim for bean commonly grown by Latin American farmershttp://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/bc-upo043008.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopiracy#The_Neem_Treehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopiracy#The_Neem_Treehttp://www.captainhookawards.org/biopiracyhttp://www.captainhookawards.org/biopiracyhttp://www.etcgroup.org/en/issues/http://www.etcgroup.org/en/issues/http://www.iphandbook.org/handbook/ch16/http://www.iphandbook.org/handbook/ch16/http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/pir-ch.htmhttp://www.twnside.org.sg/title/pir-ch.htmhttp://nativeharvest.com/node/249http://nativeharvest.com/node/249http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosy_Periwinklehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosy_Periwinklehttp://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/bc-upo043008.phphttp://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/bc-upo043008.phphttp://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/bc-upo043008.phphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosy_Periwinklehttp://nativeharvest.com/node/249http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/pir-ch.htmhttp://www.iphandbook.org/handbook/ch16/http://www.etcgroup.org/en/issues/http://www.captainhookawards.org/biopiracyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopiracy#The_Neem_Tree

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