چکیده:
Granting of intellectual property rights on biological materials could be very
contentious issue from cultural, legal, ethical and religious points of view. This could
be even more complicated, once it acquires an international dimension. The
Agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) is the latest
international arrangement under which, a complex structure for international
protection of intellectual property rights has been created. However, while it embodies
some provisions of pervious international documents on intellectual property rights, it
reflects a unique and unprecedented scheme of protection of intellectual property
rights, which also highlights a tension between developed and developing countries
especially over the patentability of biological inventions. The provisions of TRIPs
make it difficult for developing countries to deny such protection. However, it is
possible for them to limit the scope of such protection by relying on exceptions
provided by TRIPs and also by relying on the distinction between invention and
discovery. These strategies would allow developing countries to exercise some
discretion in defining the scope of patentable biotechnologies.
اعطای حقوق مالکیت فکری به موجودات بیولوژیکی، میتواند از منظر فرهنگی، حقوقی، اخلاقی و مذهبی،
موضوعی بسیار جنجالی باشد. به محض اینکه موضوع، بعد بینالمللی پیدا میکند، حتی میتواند پیچیدهتر نیز
گردد. موافقتنامه راجع به جنبههای مرتبط با تجارت حقوق مالکیت فکری (تریپس)، آخرین نظام بینالمللی
است که براساس آن، ساختاری پیچیده برای حمایت بینالمللی از حقوق مالکیت فکری ایجاد شده است. با
این حال، از آنجا که این موافقتنامه در بردارنده برخی مقررات از اسناد بینالمللی قبلی راجع به حقوق
مالکیت فکری است، نمایی یگانه و بینظیر از حمایت بینالمللی حقوق مالکیت فکری را منعکس میسازد که
تنش میان کشورهای توسعهیافته و در حال توسعه بخصوص در زمینه قابلیت ثبت اختراعات بیولوژیکی را نیز
برجسته میکند. مقررات تریپس، نفی چنین حمایتی از سوی کشورهای در حال توسعه را دشوار میسازد. با
این حال، این امکان برای آنها وجود دارد تا قلمرو چنین حمایتی را با استناد به استثنائات مقرر در تریپس و
نیز با اتکا به تمایز اختراع و اکتشاف، محدود کنند. این ساز و کارها به کشورهای در حال توسعه اجازه می-
دهد تا در تعریف گستره بیوتکنولوژیهای قابل ثبت، برخی اختیارات را اعمال دارند.
خلاصه ماشینی:
"It provides that: (1) if an invention concerns a microbiological process or the product thereof and involves the use of a microorganism which is not available to the public and which cannot be described in the European patent applications in such a manner as to enable the invention to be carried out by a person skilled in the art, the invention shall only be regarded as being disclosed as prescribed in Article 83 if: (a) a culture of the microorganisms has been deposited with a recognized depository institution not later than the date of filing of the application; (b) the application as filed gives such relevant information as is available to the applicant on the characteristics of the microorganisms; (c) the depository institution and the file number of the culture deposit are stated in the application [26].
Thus, TRIPS agreement allows discretion to members (Contracting States) to exclude certain kinds of inventions from patentability, in order to protect public order and morality, and also to protect human, animals and plant life to avoid serious prejudice to the environment.
A US Government communication to the WTO General Council dated 19 November, 1998 noted that the TRIPS Council should consider "whether it is desirable to modify the TRIPS Agreement by eliminating the exclusion from patentability of plants and animals and incorporating key provisions of the UPOV Convention regarding plant variety protection."