Séminaire Scientifique UMR Agap : Alternatives in the Making?: Commons and Open Source Approaches to Plant Varieties/Seeds

8 mars 2017

de 11h00 à 12h00, à l'amphithéâtre Jacques Alliot Cirad, Avenue Agropolis 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5

Krishna Ravi Srinivas PhD, RIS, New Delhi

This presentation discusses the new emerging options with respect to intellectual property rights for plants and seed varieties. An overview of the open source approaches/models in software is presented and this is followed by a discussion on the discourse on commons and the work of Ostrom and others which has resulted in major rethinking on understanding commons. Although the two appear to be unrelated or totally unconnected,  the suggestion by Tom Micheals a plant breeder that germplasm could be released under GPL opened up new ways to think about using germplasm for plant breeding without the restrictions under intellectual property rights and Material Transfer Agreements. Taking this further it was proposed that BioLinux model could be developed as an alternative model and this would be a pro-commons approach. In the literature in wake of debates on anti-commons and intellectual property rights open source approach was suggested for drug discovery while sharing of genetic resources as commons with restrictions including benefit sharing was also suggested. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources through the Multilateral System created a sort of commons with benefit sharing.  In the last few years few initiatives have been made to implement the Open Source approach to seeds and plant varieties and to facilitate sharing of germplasm. The one in Germany led by Agrecol uses a contract model while the one in USA by Open Source Seeds Initiative (OSSI) uses a voluntary promise. I compare these two approaches, pointing out their shortcomings and merits. I point out that we need more initiatives to try this in different countries and for different purposes. Further I argue that these initiatives could in the long run result in a global commons in germplasm that could be useful for organic growers and plant breeders who want to go beyond the traditional thinking on intellectual property rights for seeds and plant varieties.  
 

However the issue is not that simple as new plant breeding technologies are likely to have significant impact on development of seeds and plant varieties. Relying on few studies on intellectual property rights in these technologies I point out that there is scope for using open source and commons approach in the context of emerging technological options. I point out that  the Open Plant initiative in UK and the Ethical Licensing model of Broad Institute are two interesting examples and describe them pointing out the challenges. Finally I conclude by observing that there can be core common principles in commons and open source that can result in divergent approaches in applying them and we need more work in understanding them and assess them.

CV Krishna Ravi Srinivas PhD

Contact

Sélim Louafi
CIRAD
Marie Curie Research Fellow
UMR Agap
Avenue Agropolis - TA A-96 / 03
Bât. 3, Bur. 108
34398 Montpellier Cedex 5
Tél :  +33 4 67 61 57 22