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Question
The US company RiceTec was granted a patent for which of the following?
The US company RiceTec was granted a patent for which of the following?
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Solution
The correct option is D Basmati
Biopatents are the exclusive rights granted to the inventor or their assignee for the modification or usage of living organisms, their products as well as the technologies that make use of the genetic material, for public services.
In September 1997, a Texas company - RiceTec obtained a patent granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on ‘Basmati Rice Lines and Grains’. This patent was claimed after the company created a new variety of rice by crossing Indian Basmati with semi-dwarf varieties.
The patent provided the company with the rights to use all varieties of Indian Basmati rice for breeding. It 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.
This created huge controversy at international levels because 27 documented varieties of Basmati rice are found in India. India is also the only country with the richest biodiversity of rice (2,00,000 varieties). Indian Basmati is known to have a unique aroma which has been documented in ancient texts and folklore.
This led to a brief diplomatic crisis between the US and India.
Using a bioresource of a country without the authorisation of that country is called biopiracy.
Since the US company had used our bioresource without the authorisation of India, 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.
Sharbati Sonora, Lerma Rojo and VL-804 are wheat varieties.
Biopatents are the exclusive rights granted to the inventor or their assignee for the modification or usage of living organisms, their products as well as the technologies that make use of the genetic material, for public services.
In September 1997, a Texas company - RiceTec obtained a patent granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on ‘Basmati Rice Lines and Grains’. This patent was claimed after the company created a new variety of rice by crossing Indian Basmati with semi-dwarf varieties.
The patent provided the company with the rights to use all varieties of Indian Basmati rice for breeding. It 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.
This created huge controversy at international levels because 27 documented varieties of Basmati rice are found in India. India is also the only country with the richest biodiversity of rice (2,00,000 varieties). Indian Basmati is known to have a unique aroma which has been documented in ancient texts and folklore.
This led to a brief diplomatic crisis between the US and India.
Using a bioresource of a country without the authorisation of that country is called biopiracy.
Since the US company had used our bioresource without the authorisation of India, 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.
Sharbati Sonora, Lerma Rojo and VL-804 are wheat varieties.
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