ZEF would like to cordially invite you to the next Public Lecture with Christoph Antons, Professor at the School of Law, Deakin University, Melbourne on:
“Between state, community and market: The emerging plant variety protection systems of ASEAN countries”
Prof. Antons has joined ZEF as a senior fellow recently and is currently visiting the Department of Social and Political Change.
Abstract
The WTO members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have completely revised their intellectual property systems as a result of the WTO TRIPS Agreement of 1994. While reform in established areas of the law such as in trade marks or copyright was relatively swift, governments had greater difficulties with the requirement of Article 27(3)(b) TRIPS to grant either patent protection or to establish an effective sui generis system for plant varieties. Most countries opted for sui generis plant variety laws, but it took a few years for the laws to become implemented. While some of the newer and least developed ASEAN members still have to fully implement TRIPS or join the WTO, some of the older ASEAN members are attempting to balance in their plant variety laws ambitious plans for their biotechnology and agricultural industries with concerns about the livelihood of small-scale farmers and protection for traditional agricultural knowledge. The paper examines relevant laws in ASEAN countries and the tensions that these different policies generate as well as a few legal disputes. It also examines the influence of bilateral Free Trade Agreements and the importance some of them attach to plant variety protection.
Time and place:
Wednesday, January 9, 2013, 11:00 – 12:30 h
at ZEF, ground floor conference room (Directions)
Information
ZEF would like to cordially invite you to the next Public Lecture with Christoph Antons, Professor at the School of Law, Deakin University, Melbourne on:
“Between state, community and market: The emerging plant variety protection systems of ASEAN countries”
Prof. Antons has joined ZEF as a senior fellow recently and is currently visiting the Department of Social and Political Change.
Abstract
The WTO members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have completely revised their intellectual property systems as a result of the WTO TRIPS Agreement of 1994. While reform in established areas of the law such as in trade marks or copyright was relatively swift, governments had greater difficulties with the requirement of Article 27(3)(b) TRIPS to grant either patent protection or to establish an effective sui generis system for plant varieties. Most countries opted for sui generis plant variety laws, but it took a few years for the laws to become implemented. While some of the newer and least developed ASEAN members still have to fully implement TRIPS or join the WTO, some of the older ASEAN members are attempting to balance in their plant variety laws ambitious plans for their biotechnology and agricultural industries with concerns about the livelihood of small-scale farmers and protection for traditional agricultural knowledge. The paper examines relevant laws in ASEAN countries and the tensions that these different policies generate as well as a few legal disputes. It also examines the influence of bilateral Free Trade Agreements and the importance some of them attach to plant variety protection.
Time and place:
Wednesday, January 9, 2013, 11:00 – 12:30 h
at ZEF, ground floor conference room (Directions)