Due to the strong association between Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and agricultural biotechnology, this paper argues that technology transfer (e.g., licensing), needs to be conducted differently for agricultural bio-technology products.

Two important licensing mechanisms are examined: the patent license and material transfer agreements. This includes their unique features and issues associated with their use. The implementation of licensing agreements in agricultural biotechnology demands new roles for public agricultural institutions in developing countries and necessitates the call for them to evaluate and shift their strategies in acquiring and commercializing agricultural innovations. The authors have provided the paper as a starting point for discussion, and/or a guide for public research institutions in developing countries to more effectively use these technology transfer tools.

A few case examples are highlighted, in order to convey the experiences of other national research institutions in handling these legal mechanisms. Learning from these experiences may help other institutions maximize benefits while minimizing cost and risk under the new context of technology transfer for agricultural innovations.

Read more:

Licensing Agricultural Intellectual Property: How Should Public R&D Institutions in Developing Countries Respond? by Jane G. Payumo, Howard D. Grimes and Keith J. Jones, 2012, International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management, World Scientific

Recommended by Prof Tugrul Daim, post by R&D Today admin