The Government of Thailand decided recently to introduce a legal system for the protection of plant variety right (PVR) in order to meet its commitment under the TRIPs agreement (part of the WTO agreement) to protect new varieties of plants. Having taken this significant decision - although in reality the decision was probably little more than a formality because of the TRIPs commitment - the government must assess the likely impact of PVR on public and private interests in Thailand and, in the light of that assessment, construct a PVR system suited to the country's particular needs (so far as these can be envisaged). The likely impact of the government's decision and the choice to be made constitute the backbone of this thesis as well as its prime focus. A PVR system is intended primarily to promote invention and innovation in the field of plant breeding. Whether the availability of PVR in Thailand will achieve those objectives cannot be said at this point. Studies carried out in countries with mature PVR systems claim, despite the lack of any solid evidence on which to found the claims, that PVR systems have certain positive or beneficial effects, for example more varieties giving higher yields and better adapted to growing conditions. On the other hand, some commentators believe that these benefits result from other factors, in particular technological advances (for example, improvements in cultivation and management of commercial crops). This thesis concludes that the availability or grant of PVR in Thailand will not have any radical impact on public and private interests there. At present, plant breeding and seed production are carried out by public and private sectors. Available data on seed production and consumption indicate the need for more investment in plant breeding and seed production, particularly in the private sector. A PVR system is unlikely to encourage breeders or producers to invest more because the availability of PVR is not a vital determinant in investment decisions. Fortunately. as far as can be seen at present, a PVR system is unlikely to have negative effects, e. g. seed price rises, obstacles to technological development or environmental dangers. In considering the most appropriate system, the major factors to be assessed are economic impact, existing political commitment, and practicality. The government should adopt the system established by the 1978 UPOV Convention, in preference to the 1991 Convention, because the earlier Convention is the more appropriate for Thailand's developmental needs.

Thailand’s plant protection regime presents a unique sui generis plant protection system, which is used as a model by several developing nations. The current Thai Plant Variety Protection (PVP) law has attracted some criticism, and whether or not farmers and breeders actually benefit from the system is in doubt. The questions this situation raises are: has Thailand adopted clear, coherent, and workable rules for plant variety protection in response to the needs of the nation? Is the introduction of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in agriculture via a PVP regime a desirable and contributory factor to the development of Thailand? More precisely, how might such an IPR regime be made compatible with Thailand’s development needs, bearing in mind the obligations the country has accepted through its membership of the WTO and adherence to the TRIPS Agreement? This thesis attempts to address these questions. By highlighting the salient features of the Thai plant protection regime, this thesis addresses the major concerns of the rights of farmers, local communities, and plant breeders. It is suggested that the protection of plant varieties is vital to Thailand, considering the fact that agriculture represents a fundamental economic activity and the livelihood of a large section of the total population; therefore, introducing IPRs in agriculture via the PVP regime is critical to the development of agriculture in Thailand. Thus, a new developmental approach to the IP protection of plant varieties is desirable to ensure the unique needs of the nation the validity of national legislation, and the long-term promotion of agricultural development and sustainability in Thailand. Thailand can provide a more coherent framework for plant variety protection by carefully calibrating the PVP provisions and establishing a coherent set of rules in the form of a new legislative framework. It is concluded that a number of possible elements are available from a variety of instruments that exist in international law, notably the TRIPS Agreement, the UPOV Convention, the CBD, and the ITPGRFA. Lastly, the proposed regulatory reforms suggest that Thailand’s PVP provisions should be amended in three major areas, including (1) provisions for the rights of farmers and local societies, (2) legal protection for plant breeders’ rights, and (3) institutional apparatus governing plant protection issues in Thailand.

No description available.

Variété végétale et invention sont deux concepts juridiques qui encadrent la propriété intellectuelle des innovations variétales. Ces deux constructions juridiques sont en continuité avec les préceptes scientifiques de la biologie. En outre, elles sont adaptées aux besoins économiques des acteurs concernés. Ces deux éléments montrent que la relation entre le droit de la propriété intellectuelle et le contexte de la création variétale est construite sur un échange dialectique. Le choix du droit de la propriété intellectuelle dépend des intérêts que les sélectionneurs souhaitent fructifier. La coexistence des droits de la propriété est sujette aux stratégies d’appropriation mises en œuvre par les acteurs. Ces stratégies peuvent conduire à des limites : concentration des entreprises et perte de la biodiversité végétale. Ces limites sont étudiées au regard du droit de la concurrence d’une part, et au regard de la durabilité écologique, d’autre part. / Plant variety and invention are two legal concepts which regulate the intellectual property of varietal innovations. These two legal constructs are in line with the scientific precepts of biology. Moreover, they accommodate the economic needs of the actors involved. These two elements demonstrate that the relation between intellectual property law and the context of varietal creation is built on a dialectical interaction. The choice of intellectual property law depends on the benefits breeders wish to put forward. The coexistence of property rights is subject to the ownership strategies implemented by the actors. These strategies can show limitations: corporate concentration and loss of plant biodiversity. These limits are studied in terms of competition law and in terms of ecological sustainability.

Disputats. Universität Hohenheim, 2004. / Haves kun i elektronisk udg.

台灣早期係以農業為主的社會，加上位處亞熱帶，植物品種豐富，生長期長，稻作可一年三穫。又二十世紀初，台灣處於日治時期，製糖、樟腦、茶葉、稻米進入工業化生產時代，技術持續進步，產量也逐漸上升，奠定生產優良農產品的實力。另外一方面，台灣的花卉業也不容忽視，蝴蝶蘭的育種具有世界水準，而台灣與外界隔絕之海島地形，加上地處亞熱帶，具有豐富且特殊的生物基因資源，以上因素皆奠定台灣發展農業科技之基礎。 1980年代起，生物技術日益發達，基因轉殖或是基因改造的方法逐漸與傳統嫁接、配種等植物育種方法並行，隨著國際化的腳步、經濟的發展，農業技術的進步，植物新品種的培育愈來愈容易進行，且新品種樣態也愈來愈繁多。但另一方面，植物的流通日益複雜，熟悉育種技術者可由新品種植物種子、枝條、葉片等便於攜帶部位輕易繁殖，導致辛苦育成新品種的育種者心血結晶易被他人盜用，使育種人逐漸失去創造新品種之動力。為解決此問題，國際間有以植物新品種保護國際聯盟(UPOV)及與貿易相關之智慧財產權協定(TRIPS)規範之植物品種權及專利權制度保護育種者之智慧財產權，我國目前亦有植物品種及種苗法保護植物品種權，專利法則正在修法開放植物為專利標的。 然而，除了法律制度健全外，還需要有效的執行政策確保能實際達到立法目的，以植物相關智慧財產權法為例，需讓育種者了解自己有哪些權利、申請方式及行使方式，再遇到侵權事件時，能第一時間防止侵害、順利主張權利、請求賠償及去除侵害。再者，確保權利得以主張後，如何將此權利產業化、商品化以換取利益亦為重要課題。完成上述一連串政策後，才能順利達到提升產業、讓社會大眾享受到科技成果之目的。 由於農產品不同於電子或醫藥產業之產品可全球通行，依據不同地區有不同的主食及盛行作物，美國、中國、日本及歐洲等農村結構、農業技術、氣候及產品等亦大不相同，故國際間對於農業或植物相關智慧財產權之保護及商品化政策都因地制宜，不盡相同。 台灣的近鄰 --- 日本，有著與台灣類似的農村結構、飲食習慣及盛行作物，同時植物智財保護政策也對其高產值的精緻農業有所貢獻，例如日本特有的獨立行政法人植物種苗管理中心以及品種保護對策官(G-Men)制度，在行政上發揮有效的智慧財產管理作用。同時日本善用其地方文化結合農產品發展出地方特產、一村一特產等，提升國內外觀光潛力，使遊客聽到北海道即聯想到「夕張哈密瓜」、聽到京都即聯想到「宇治抹茶」，松坂市有「松阪牛」、青森有「青森蘋果」等等，以地名行銷農畜產品之方式相當成功。 綜上所述，本研究認為台灣在發展農業技術上之潛力不亞於日本，並期待「台灣」一詞有朝一日能在國際上代表「品質優良的農產品、水果、花卉及先進的農業技術」，使台灣之農產業能成為繼電子產業後另一項能在國際間發光之產業，故本研究以日本為研究對象，以植物相關智慧財產權政策之角度分析其精緻農業成功因素，並針對台灣之特色，提出因地制宜之政策變革方向。

台灣在蘭花產業上扮演關鍵地位，近年來受到許多已開發國家消費者喜好，再加上蘭花高經濟價值特性，使得近年來許多國家業者紛紛投入生產，影響台灣業者原有的市場，更加上台灣蘭花業者以往對於智慧財產的不重視，許多優良品種缺乏專利或品種權保護，而紛紛遭受國外竊取流失，對於智慧財產權的管理及應用，也缺乏一套完整的方法論，來體現智慧財產的價值。本研究企圖以周延鵬老師所提出之「智慧資源規劃」方法論，並針對主要蘭花市場國家，包括美國、歐盟、日本、台灣，分別以產業結構（產業面）、各國植物品種保護制度（法規面）和業者實地訪談（市場面）所遭遇之現況及面臨之問題進行分析。針對三構面的分析結果，本研究提出「蘭花產業智慧資源規劃模型」，以蘭花產業結構、智慧財產群集與組合、企業營運機能作為整體模型之基礎，並以該基礎架構進行蘭花產業商業模式設計，以產業整合、品種權佈局、產品組合和智慧財產之交易與行銷進行設計，最後再以資訊網路平台將各段之資訊進行分析及流通，配合組織營運規劃，使公司能藉由本論文所提出之智慧資源規劃模型，加強於全球之競爭力。 / Taiwan acted as a crucial role in the worldwide orchid industry these years. Orchids become more popular in many countries and the high economic value attracts lots of the companies to involve in. The ignorance and depreciation of intellectual property in the past cause that many unprotected plant varieties were copied by foreign industries without licensing. Moreover, the lacks of IP management methodology make it difficult to embody the value of orchid intellectual property. This thesis aims to offer some possible solutions for the dilemma of Taiwan orchid industries in a way of “Intelligence Resources Planning (IPR),” proposed by Yen Pong Jou. The analysis will begin with the comparisons of some major countries of orchid industry, including the U.S., Europe, Japan and Taiwan, from their industrial structure, legal regulation concerning plant patent protections and interviews with industries. Following the situation and difficulties observed, this thesis proposes an ”Intelligence Resources Planning in Orchid Industry Model.” The model is design on the base of industrial structure, intellectual property combinations and business management mechanism, including integration of industry, IP strategy of plant variety in different countries, product combinations, and IP marketing and trades. This information will be circulated and analyzed through an internet platform. Through the information sharing, the model aims to enhance Taiwan orchid industry’s competitiveness in the global market.