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PDF
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Type:
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Conference Paper |
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Author:
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Gollin, Michael A. |
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Conference:
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Inequality and the Commons, the Third Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property |
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Location:
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Washington, DC |
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Conf. Date:
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September 17-20, 1992 |
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Date:
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1992 |
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URI:
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https://hdl.handle.net/10535/631
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Sector:
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Social Organization |
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Region:
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Subject(s):
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property rights
public domain
conservation
biodiversity
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Abstract:
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"Where should boundaries be drawn to distinguish property rights affecting biodiversity from the public domain? I will try to answer this question by referring to three kinds of property rights that can be asserted over biological resources in the context of "biodiversity prospecting."
"Biodiversity prospecting may be defined to include a wide range of activities, ranging from traditional activities most likely to take place in developing countries in the tropics where the species diversity is highest, to sophisticated techniques most likely in the developed countries with advanced biotechnology capacity. The activities may include: identifying a plant, animal, or microbe species; characterizing its biological properties; screening for biological activity; extracting genetic material and other components; purifying microbes, genes and specific chemicals having biological activity; using the genes to genetically alter other species for agricultural purposes; and using the products in pharmaceutical or industrial applications. Which of these activities are in the public domain? Which are subject to property rights?"
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