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Question
Read the following statements and choose the correct one from the options given below.
Statement I: The patent given to the American company, RiceTec, on ‘Basmati Rice Lines and Grains’ by the US Patent and Trademark Office was challenged by India.
Statement II: Rice is a staple food in many countries across the world.
Read the following statements and choose the correct one from the options given below.
Statement I: The patent given to the American company, RiceTec, on ‘Basmati Rice Lines and Grains’ by the US Patent and Trademark Office was challenged by India.
Statement II: Rice is a staple food in many countries across the world.
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Solution
The correct option is B Both Statement I and II are correct but Statement II is not the correct explanation for Statement I
Biopatents are the exclusive rights granted to the inventor or their assignee for the modification or usage of living organisms, their products and technologies, that make use of the genetic material, for public services.
In September 1997, a Texas company - RiceTec obtained a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office on ‘Basmati Rice Lines and Grains’. The patent was claimed after the company created a new variety of rice by crossing Indian Basmati with semi-dwarf varieties.
The patent permitted the company to sell the new variety of rice in the US and abroad and also restricted any other individual or country from selling Basmati Rice. It also provided the company with the rights to use all varieties of Indian Basmati rice for breeding.
This created huge controversy at international levels. Rice is an important food crop which is the staple food of more than 3.5 billion humans. India hosts the largest number of rice varieties (2,00,000) and 27 documented varieties of Basmati rice are found in India. Indian Basmati is known to have a unique aroma which has been documented in ancient texts and folklore.
The company was alleged of biopiracy and India threatened to take the matter to the World Trade Organization. Finally, the US Patent and Trademark Office had to withdraw the patent rights given to RiceTec. Thus India challenged RiceTec because Basmati was our bioresource.
Biopatents are the exclusive rights granted to the inventor or their assignee for the modification or usage of living organisms, their products and technologies, that make use of the genetic material, for public services.
In September 1997, a Texas company - RiceTec obtained a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office on ‘Basmati Rice Lines and Grains’. The patent was claimed after the company created a new variety of rice by crossing Indian Basmati with semi-dwarf varieties.
The patent permitted the company to sell the new variety of rice in the US and abroad and also restricted any other individual or country from selling Basmati Rice. It also provided the company with the rights to use all varieties of Indian Basmati rice for breeding.
This created huge controversy at international levels. Rice is an important food crop which is the staple food of more than 3.5 billion humans. India hosts the largest number of rice varieties (2,00,000) and 27 documented varieties of Basmati rice are found in India. Indian Basmati is known to have a unique aroma which has been documented in ancient texts and folklore.
The company was alleged of biopiracy and India threatened to take the matter to the World Trade Organization. Finally, the US Patent and Trademark Office had to withdraw the patent rights given to RiceTec. Thus India challenged RiceTec because Basmati was our bioresource.
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