Intellectual Property and Biodiversity

Biotechnology is at the heart of heated debates about ethics, safety, economic development, and about the control over the biological materials and technologies used. The latter, grossly called biodiversity issues relating to the application of intellectual property, has been the subject of a wealth of literature. Yet, the situation of animal genetic resources specifically has only marginally been addressed so far. Many books and articles address 舖biotechnology and agriculture舗, but have only plants and seeds in mind. Case-law and specific regulation is equally scarce. Exacerbated by the so-called 舖erosion of animal genetic resources舗, climate change, the globalization of the market-place, and a strong concentration of markets, animal genetic resources however demand specific analysis and adjustments in intellectual property law.