A patent defence approach to sharing aquaculture genetic resources across jurisdictional areas

Abstract

Access and benefit sharing (ABS) of genetic resources is a concept that is increasingly important for product development in aquaculture. ABS regulates the way aquatic genetic resources can be accessed from the world's waters and how the benefits that result from their use are shared between the providers and users of genetic resources and their derivatives. This article gives an overview of the multiple approaches to sharing aquaculture genetic resources under ABS regimes across the three jurisdictional areas in which they are found—waters within national jurisdiction, beyond national jurisdictions and in the Antarctic Treaty Area. It highlights the complexity and inconsistencies relating to obligations for technology transfer across the various regimes and the implications this has for sharing genetic resources for use in aquaculture. It offers a practical solution to navigating this complexity by using an evolving patent defence approach consistent with the World Trade Organisation's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). It concludes that this approach can guide the resolution of legal challenges that ABS regimes across the jurisdictional areas have in common, which concern derivatives and commercial use of genetic resources