BIOTECHNOLOGY
There are currently two main systems of protection for biotechnology: patents; and rights in plant varieties. Both systems provide exclusive, time-limited rights of exploitation.
-Patents allow competing companies to learn what other firms are doing and are inspired to create their own innovations, in a similar way that the articles published in scientific journals inspire new research ideas and discovery efforts. Patents drive the biotechnology industry forward, bringing good news for this exciting sector and society.
-The plant breeders’ rights (PBR) scheme protects plant breeders and gives them a commercial monopoly for a period of time. This encourages plant breeding and innovation, meaning that a large and growing pool of new plant varieties is freely available to anybody when the protection periods lapse.
