Open AccessFreedom‐to‐operate analysis of a transgenic multivitamin corn variety
Author(s) -
Zanga Daniela,
Capell Teresa,
Zhu Changfu,
Christou Paul,
Thangaraj Harry
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plant biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.525
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1467-7652
pISSN - 1467-7644
DOI - 10.1111/pbi.12488
Subject(s) - variety (cybernetics) , commercialization , intellectual property , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , production (economics) , business , natural resource economics , risk analysis (engineering) , marketing , law , economics , political science , computer science , macroeconomics , artificial intelligence
Summary In this article, we explore the intellectual property ( IP ) landscape relevant to the production and commercialization of Carolight ™ , a transgenic multivitamin corn variety created on humanitarian grounds to address micronutrient deficiencies in low‐and‐middle‐income countries. The successful production of this variety requires IP rights risk management because there is a strong protection on inventions and processes via patent portfolios in both developing and industrialized countries. The IP framework is complex, and specialist patent lawyers are usually employed to perform such analysis, but the costs cannot always be met by small, publicly funded projects. We report an alternative strategy, a do‐it‐yourself patent analysis, to produce a review with limited legal value that can nevertheless lay the foundations for a subsequent more in‐depth professional freedom‐to‐operate opinion.