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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: thames_sider who wrote (98907)	5/23/2003 8:35:00 AM
From: Bill Ulrich	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

When I said competitive forces, I meant that, for example, Novartis' competitors are not going to let Novartis lock up an overly-broad patent on — popcorn. They all want in the game. Or for that matter, the Government of India with Basmatic rice. The example of a subsistence farmer doesn't logically apply in this context. "Assuming that subsistence farmers in Mocambique (say) can take foreign multinationals to court, successfully, is IMO unlikely..." re: "Besides, seed viability is an issue. you have the choice of whether or not to plant a sterile variety, true - but if your choice is between starvation now or starvation and poverty next year, which do you choose?" Agri-cooperatives such as CGAIR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) play an important humanitarian role in the global ag biz. Whilst "sterilization switching" is possible with GM products, the efforts of these groups and others (WIPO, UPOV) help ensure that worries about starvation vs. sterile seed are vastly exaggerated. I think also, that this is getting too far from the foreign affairs mission of this thread. (JMO — someone else can take it up if they wish.)