Gene Patents in Australia: Options for Reform. Controversies over the upsurge in gene patenting, access to pharmaceuticals, biopiracy, and ownership of genetic resources, lead many to question whether patent law is appropriate for biotechnology. Do patents thwart access to beneficial technologies such as drugs, research tools and new crops, while hampering policy options for health care and agriculture? This project addresses the urgent need for a comprehensive study of the impact of biotech pat ....Gene Patents in Australia: Options for Reform. Controversies over the upsurge in gene patenting, access to pharmaceuticals, biopiracy, and ownership of genetic resources, lead many to question whether patent law is appropriate for biotechnology. Do patents thwart access to beneficial technologies such as drugs, research tools and new crops, while hampering policy options for health care and agriculture? This project addresses the urgent need for a comprehensive study of the impact of biotech patenting, critically reviewing overseas developments, setting biotechnology in the broader policy context of intellectual property law, and empirically analysing patterns rather than relying on the anecdotal and piecemeal studies that dominate this area.Read moreRead less
Promoting Plant Innovation in Australia: maximising the benefits of intellectual property for Australian agriculture. The development of new plant varieties is crucial to the ongoing competitiveness and sustainability of Australian agriculture. It also has wider social, cultural and economic consequences. Intellectual property laws have the potential to promote and hinder the developments of new plant varieties. In recent years there has been a shift towards the use of patents to protect plant i ....Promoting Plant Innovation in Australia: maximising the benefits of intellectual property for Australian agriculture. The development of new plant varieties is crucial to the ongoing competitiveness and sustainability of Australian agriculture. It also has wider social, cultural and economic consequences. Intellectual property laws have the potential to promote and hinder the developments of new plant varieties. In recent years there has been a shift towards the use of patents to protect plant innovations: a trend which has the potential to transform existing research and development arrangements and industry practices in Australia. By providing policy-makers and stakeholders with recommendations on how to respond to and manage these changes, the project will promote plant breeding in Australia and also enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of Australian agriculture.Read moreRead less
Co-operative intellectual property management and technology transfer for the Australian biotechnology industry. The Australian biotechnology industry rests on a framework of internationally competitive research and should be well placed to capture a significant share of expanding global markets. However, existing intellectual property (IP) management strategies do not make the most of this potential because they raise barriers to much-needed co-operation among industry players. By developing an ....Co-operative intellectual property management and technology transfer for the Australian biotechnology industry. The Australian biotechnology industry rests on a framework of internationally competitive research and should be well placed to capture a significant share of expanding global markets. However, existing intellectual property (IP) management strategies do not make the most of this potential because they raise barriers to much-needed co-operation among industry players. By developing and refining new co-operative IP management models in an Australian context, this project offers direct economic benefits (more efficient industry structures), improved social and economic benefits (better and cheaper biotechnology products and services), and an opportunity for Australia to take the lead in developing innovative approaches to IP management.Read moreRead less
The Impact of International Trade Agreements on the Regulation and Provision of Medicines in Australia. This Project will provide policy makers and the community with previously unavailable detailed information and regulatory options (through scholarly publications, reports to government agencies and a publicly accessible website) concerning the effects of Australia's international trade commitments on access to medicines. It will develop a strategic modelling system and a continuing research gr ....The Impact of International Trade Agreements on the Regulation and Provision of Medicines in Australia. This Project will provide policy makers and the community with previously unavailable detailed information and regulatory options (through scholarly publications, reports to government agencies and a publicly accessible website) concerning the effects of Australia's international trade commitments on access to medicines. It will develop a strategic modelling system and a continuing research group with unique expertise for evaluating the health impacts of future trade negotiations by Australia and other nations. The Project particularly benefits aged and poor Australians who are more reliant on medicines for health and for whom such costs represent a significant component of domestic expenditure.Read moreRead less
Creating and capturing value in biotechnology: Can organisations sustain themselves through open source-style licensing and collaboration? Innovation is sometimes thought of exclusively in scientific and technological terms. But it is actually much broader, occurring in the way that commercial and non-commercial organisations seek to create and capture value - their business models. Like technological innovation, business model innovation is crucial to economic growth, but it is also fraught wi ....Creating and capturing value in biotechnology: Can organisations sustain themselves through open source-style licensing and collaboration? Innovation is sometimes thought of exclusively in scientific and technological terms. But it is actually much broader, occurring in the way that commercial and non-commercial organisations seek to create and capture value - their business models. Like technological innovation, business model innovation is crucial to economic growth, but it is also fraught with uncertainty, complexity and risk. This project will engage with biotechnology organisations that are actively seeking to develop new business models in order to understand the innovative process and identify ways in which other actors can support their efforts through policy, funding and other interventions. Read moreRead less
The Sustainable Use of Australia's Biodiversity: Transfer of Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property. Australia has a diverse and unique resource in its native and natural biology. Its indigenous peoples have learned to harness this resource and have accumulated knowledge of its usefulness to humans in the treatment of illnesses and ailments. It is in the national interest that this knowledge be exploited and that the benefits be shared equitably with them, but importantly that its pot ....The Sustainable Use of Australia's Biodiversity: Transfer of Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property. Australia has a diverse and unique resource in its native and natural biology. Its indigenous peoples have learned to harness this resource and have accumulated knowledge of its usefulness to humans in the treatment of illnesses and ailments. It is in the national interest that this knowledge be exploited and that the benefits be shared equitably with them, but importantly that its potential in pharmaceuticals and treatments be maximised by Australian researchers and industry. This project looks at how patent regulation can be improved to meet these national interests.Read moreRead less