The Relationship between IP and Biotechnology

Abstract

The use of intellectual property to protect biological material has increased dramatically in the last 20 years. This has put a strain on intellectual property regimes that were not originally designed for such purposes. This paper looks at the development of intellectual property regimes in Europe in response to addressing issues such as morality and whether the current patent system achieves a balance between protection that is reasonably adequate to encourage further research and development while reflecting the contribution to knowledge made by the rights' holder.