Intellectual Property Rights: A Critical Study of Patent Laws with Special Reference to Biotechnology, Bio-Safety and Genetic Engineering

Contents: Foreword. Introduction. 1. Concept of intellectual property and patent laws. 2. Growth and purpose of patents at international and national level. 3. Comparative study of patent laws of various countries. 4. Patent protection to biotechnological inventions. 5. Genetic engineering and life patents. 6. Protection of geographical indication and traditional knowledge. 7. Biosafety and global scenario. 8. New development in patent laws. 9. Conclusion and suggestions. Index. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) have become important in the face of changing trade environment which is characterized by the following features, namely, global competition, high innovation risks, short product cycle, need for rapid changes in technology, high investments in research and development (R&D), production and marketing and need for highly skilled human resources. Intellectual property is acquiring an important role on the international stage. The agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) represents an important step toward the universal recognition of geographical indications (GIS) protection. While previous agreements concluded under the auspices of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) including the Madrid and the Lisbon agreements have already regulated related legal figures such as indications of source and appellations of origin, the TRIPS agreement is today the standard subscribed to by all members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and therefore, the one with widest international recognition. The TRIPS agreement contains some minimum standards for the protection of geographical indications, including definition, scope, legal means, exceptions and international negotiations. It is also important to mention that the TRIPS agreement is subject, as any other WTO agreement, to the dispute settlement understanding of the WTO, making its standards enforceable among members. (jacket).…