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"The prevailing thinking here is that most trade agreements are a set-up by rich countries. Until agriculture is fixed in the WTO, our best strategy is to bomb
by flashgordon 16y ago
"The prevailing thinking here is that most trade agreements are a set-up by rich countries. Until agriculture is fixed in the WTO, our best strategy is to bomb any trade agreement."
i have to kind of agree with that. I remember the case of Bastmati rice in India. It has been grown in India for yonks without any patents or any IP. Suddenly there were companies from the west patenting Basmati (under the name Kasmati) and trying to prevent indian farmers from growing Bastmati. Ofcourse it didnt hold for long but was a clear less then for India. Same happend to the "neem" tree/plant.
Glad to see India stand up against some of the hypocratic regulations imposed on it.
Disclaimer: I am originally from India.
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]
- moultano 16y agoThey even patented turmeric http://www1.american.edu/ted/turmeric.htm http://www1.american.edu/ted/turmeric.htm
- Groxx 16y agoWell, its use as a medicine. And it was overturned. But still. Wow. Really makes you trust the effectiveness of the patent office, don't it?
- noonespecial 16y agoOverturned or not, the notion that a big powerful entity with irresistible weapons can suddenly show up and demand impossible payment for things you've been doing for 1000's of years based simply on a bit of paper written in a language unintelligible to you should be terrifying. It sounds like a science fiction writers dream, however. Sounds like a fabulous "District 9" sequel. The aliens return not for vengeance, but royalties!
- flashgordon 16y agoactually regarding the effectiveness of the patent office.. i think it sort of comes down to (dis)incentives.. rejecting a patent on any ground requires explanation by the patent clerk.. and to make it worse, some of the compensation is actually proportional to how many patents they approve (some how indicating that they have gone through it)... combine the two (hard work to explain a rejection, and reward for number of acceptances) you have no regard of prior art or novelty or worse obviousness. I dont see why developing countries (or any entity) has to put up with and accept such shoddy practices purely because they benefit the entities with powerful lobbies (patent attorneys and large companies with enough resources to pursue litigation)...