SylbV01-00-00. pmd

: Intellectual Property Rights and Regulatory
Mechanisms*
II. Course Code
: PGR 609
III. Credit Hours
: 1(1+0)
IV. Why this course ?
Biodiversity conservation and its judicious utilization are important in sustainable
plant breeding programs. Breeders’ and farmers’ rights are important in scenario
of globalization of agriculture so knowledge of IPRs is essential for a plant breeder
to protect his varieties.
V. Aim of the course
To educate students about concepts and instruments of intellectual property rights,
plant breeder’s rights, farmer’s rights, access and benefit sharing, international
treaties and national legislation related to plant genetic resources.
VI. Theory
Unit I
Concept of intellectual property, need for IP protection, Dimensions and nature of
IPR, conflicting community interest with private right. Forms of IPR, patents,
copyright, trademark, design, trade secret/ confidential information, GI registration.
Process of obtaining an IPR, World Intellectual Property Organization, Patent
Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
Unit II
Plant breeder’s rights, protection of plant varieties, UPOV; registration of plant
varieties and essentially derived varieties, duration and effect of registration;
traditional knowledge systems, farmer’s rights, folklore, code of conduct, access
and benefit sharing; compulsory license; plant varieties protection appellate tribunal;
finance, accounts and audit; infringement, offenses, penalties and procedure.
Unit III
International instruments concerning agro-biodiversity, Agenda 21, Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD), FAO and global system of PGR, the International Treaty
on Plant Genetic Resources for food and agriculture (ITPGR), Global Plan of Action,

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Plant Sciences–Plant Genetic Resources