Source: http://www.biologydiscussion.com/biotechnology/intellectual-property-rights/7-main-forms-of-sui-generis-rights-intellectual-property/38166
Timestamp: 2019-10-13 19:56:35
Document Index: 602195629

Matched Legal Cases: ['sui generis', 'Sui Generis', 'Sui Generis', 'Sui Generis', 'Sui Generis', 'Sui Generis', 'Sui Generis', 'sui generis', 'sui generis', 'Sui Generis', 'Sui Generis']

The following points highlight the seven main forms of sui generis rights. The forms are: 1. Database Rights 2. Mask Work 3. Plant Breeders’ Rights 4. Farmers’ Rights 5. Moral Rights 6. Supplementary Protection Certificate 7. Indigenous Intellectual Property.
Sui Generis Right: Form # 1. Database Rights:
Database rights are a form of exclusive right introduced by European Union Law in 1996 in those countries which follow EU Law. A ‘database right’ is an intellectual property right given to a computer database.
(iii) Database right is covered by sui generic rights.
(iv) Duration. Database rights last for 15 years, but can be extended if the database is updated.
(v) Protection. Database right prevents copying of substantial parts of database. The protection is over the information, not over the form of expression.
Sui Generis Right: Form # 2. Mask Work Rights:
(i) Mask work cannot be protected under copyright law or patent law.
(ii) The mask work exclusive rights were first granted in USA by Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984. Such legislations also exist in Canada and Australia.
(iii) Duration. Rights for semiconductor mask work lasts only for two*years (if unregistered) or 10 years (if registered).
(iv) The exclusive rights in mask work are somewhat like those of copyright: the right to reproduce the mask work or distribute an IC made using mask work.
(v) Reproduction for reverse engineering of a mask work is permitted by law.
(vi) Mask work rights exist when they are created, even without registration.
(vii) Protection under mask work cannot be provided to a mask that is not original.
There are some similarity and some differences between database and copyrights which are presented in Table 40.3.
Database and Mask Work:
There is some similarity and some differences between database and mask work which are presented in Table 40.4.
Sui Generis Right: Form # 3. Plant “Breeders’ Rights:
Plant breeders’ rights, also known as plant variety rights (PVR), are intellectual property rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant. Plant Breeders Rights are granted to novel plant varieties that are distinctive, uniform, and stable (e.g., cultivars bred true-to-type for desired traits).
The legal protection of a new plant variety is granted to the breeder or his successor. The effect of PBR is that prior authorization is required before the material can be used for commercial purposes.
Main features of Plant Breeders’ Rights in relation to registration, duration, validity, matters covered, requirements, transfer, control, enforcement, rights protected and infringement are briefly presented below:
The period of protection varies with plant species. It is 20 years for field crops, 25 years for trees, vines, fruit trees, ornamental trees and shrubs [UPOV 1991].
The protection of the Plant Breeders Rights is valid only in the country where it has been registered. The protection in other countries can be obtained by filling separate application in each country.
There are four basic requirements for protection of a variety under PBR, viz:
(ii) Distinctiveness,
(iii) Uniformity and
(iv) Stability.
The authorized plant breeder has right to prevent other from commercial production and marketing of his variety without permission.
Unauthorized production and marketing of a registered variety by other person amounts to infringement. The owner has the right to take legal action against the infringer and claim damages.
1. Breeders get benefit of their variety.
2. PBR help in faster development of seed industry.
3. PBR lead to improvement in quality because of competition.
4. PBR are useful in procurement of good material on payment basis.
5. PBR help in enrichment of genetic resources.
1. It will promote monopoly.
2. It will encourage unhealthy practices.
3. It may lead to increase in prices.
4. There will be reduction in genetic variability. 5. There will be compulsion to purchase fresh seed every year.
Sui Generis Right: Form # 4. Farmers’ Rights:
Farmers’ rights refer to the rights arising from the past, present and future contributions of farmers in conserving, improving and making available plant or animal genetic resources, particularly those in the centres of origin/diversity.
In other words, the legal rights provided to tanners to save, use, sow, replant, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under Plant Variety Protection Act refer to Farmers Rights. The purpose of these rights is to “ensure full benefits to farmers and support the continuation of their contributions.”
(ii) Assisting farmers and farming communities throughout the world, especially those in areas of original diversity of plant genetic resources, in the protection and conservation of their PGR and of the natural biosphere; and
Sui Generis Right: Form # 5. Moral Rights:
Moral Rights are rights of creators of copyrighted works generally recognized in civil law jurisdictions and first recognized in France and Germany, before they were included in the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works in 1928.
Moral rights are a special extension to copyright that gives the originator of a copyrighted work rights over its use. The originator can specify moral conditions on the use or exploitation of their creation, even when the rights are licensed or sold to others’.
(ii) Moral Rights were granted to authors under the Berne Convention (1989) giving the author (i) right to attribution, and (ii) right to integrity.
(iii) The creator of the work has the right of attribution and integrity, even after sale or transfer of the copyright. In other words, the creator or author shall have the right to claim authorship of the work even after sale or transfer of the copyright.
(iv) Transfer. The copyrights can be transferred or assigned to others, but Moral Right cannot be transferred or assigned.
(v) The author has right to object to any distortion, mutilation or other modification which would be prejudicial to his honour or reputation.
Sui Generis Right: Form # 6. Supplementary Protection Certificate:
This term is used in European Countries. This is an extension of the term given to pharmaceutical or plant protection patent. A supplementary protection certificate (SPC) is a sui generis, patent-like, intellectual property right. This type of right is available for medicinal products, such as drugs, and plant protection products, such as insecticides, and herbicides.
(ii) It is a sui generis, patent like, intellectual property right.
(iv) Duration. It has maximum life time of 5 years when granted after 10 years after filing date of a patent. The term would be less than 5 years if it is granted after 5 years from the date of filing the corresponding patent. However, the market exclusivity cannot exceed 15 years.
(v) The SPC provides long term authorization to a patent for marketing.
(vi) Conditions of Issue. It is issued against a patent generally immediately on expiry of the term of the patent. It cannot be issued before 5 years from filing date of corresponding patent.
Sui Generis Right: Form # 7. Indigenous Property Rights:
The Indigenous Knowledge also known as Traditional Knowledge [TK] refers to the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous people and local communities. In other words, it is the: knowledge gained through tradition from ancestors about plants and animals, medicines, agricultural practices and other matters.
(i) Traditional knowledge can be protected by sui generic rights.
(iii) It covers the matured long-standing traditions and practices of certain regional, indigenous, or local communities. In other words, it is gained from experience gained over the centuries and adapted to local culture and environment.
(iv) It includes knowledge about plants, animals, indigenous treatment of diseases through herbal medicines, cultural practices etc.
(v) Traditional knowledge is based on teachings and experiences and is orally passed on from generation to generation to some persons only. Earlier there were no written document on traditional knowledge.
(ix) Traditional knowledge incorporates knowledge of ecosystem and code of ethics governing appropriate use of environment. This code includes rules and conventions promoting desirable ecosystem relations, human-animal interactions and even social relationships. A combination of traditional and non-traditional knowledge will form a rich and distinctive understanding of life and the world.
Advantages and Disadvantages of IPR:
(iii) It makes available new ideas technologies to different countries.
(iv) It leads to faster development of industries organizations engaged in research and development work.
(iv) It may lead to monopoly of right holders, etc..
Biology, Genetics, Property, Intellectual Property, Sui Generis Right