Part of lecture at CRID, Chandigarh on Feb. 9, 2011

1. Patents, IPR, Greed
& Agriculture
The Future of
Hunger
Hemant Goswami

2. In dia n P a te n t s A c t 1 9 7 0
Section 3: Wh a t a re n o t in v e n tio n s -
The following are not inventions within the
meaning of this Act, -
(a) An invention which is frivolous or w h ic h
c la im s a n y t h in g o b v io u s c o n t ra ry t o
w e ll e s t a b lis h e d n a t u ra l la w s ;
(b) An invention the primary or intended u s e o f
w h ic h w o u ld b e contrary to law or morality or
in ju rio u s t o pu b lic h e a lt h ;
(c) The mere discovery of a scientific principle o r
th e fo rm u la tio n o f a n a b s t ra c t t h e o ry ;
…………..and…….

3. In dia n P a te n t s A c t 1 9 7 0
(d) T h e m e re dis c o v e ry o f a n y n e w pro pe rt y o r n e w u s e for a known
substance or of the mere use of a known process, machine or apparatus
unless such known process results in a new product or employs at least one
new reactant;
(e) A s u b s ta n c e o b t a in e d b y a m e re a dm ix t u re resulting only in. the
aggregation of the properties of the components thereof or a process for
producing such substance;
(f) T h e m e re a rra n g e m e n t o r re -a rra n g e m e n t o r du plic a tio n of known
devices each functioning independently of one another in a known way;
(g) A method or process of testing applicable during the process of manufacture
for rendering the machine, apparatus or other equipment more efficient or for
the improvement or restoration of the existing machine, apparatus or other
equipment or for the improvement or control of manufacture;
(h) A m e t h o d o f a g ric u lt u re o r h o rt ic u lt u re ;
(i) Any process for the medicinal, surgical, curative, prophylactic or other
treatment of human beings or any process for a s im ila r tre a tm e n t o f
a n im a ls o r pla n t s to re n de r t h e m fre e o f dis e a s e or to increase their
economic value or that of their products.

4. In te rn a t io n a l T re a t ie s a n d
C o n v e n t io n s
P a ris : Paris Convention for the Protection of
Industrial Property, Paris, 07-07- 1884
P C T : Patent Cooperation Treaty, Washington,
came into force 24-01-1978
B u da pe s t : Budapest Treaty on the International
Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms
for the Purposes of Patent Procedure,
Budapest, came into force 19-08-1980
T R IP S : Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights, Marrakech, came
into force 01-01-1995
P L T : Patent Law Treaty, Geneva, came into
force 28-04-2005

5. P a t e n t T re a tie s a n d In dia ’s S t a n d
In dia F a ile d t o pro t e c t it’s
in te re s t
We lacked the foresight to understand the
ramifications. We directly and indirectly agreed to
laws/conditions absolutely counter-productive to our
economy, agriculture and science
In dia n e v e r h a d a s t a n d! We w e n t b y
m a n ipu la t io n s b y t h e de v e lo pe d w o rld,
pa rt ic u la rly U S A a n d t h e U S C o u rt s . We
b lin dly a c c e pt e d a ll w h a t w a s pu s h e d.

6. N e w L a w s – A ppa re n t ly G o o d
L e g is la t io n s

7. Hidde n C o n n e c tio n s – P a tte rn s
L e g a lis in g T h e Ille g a l

8. Hidde n C o n n e c tio n s – P a tte rn s
L e g a lis in g T h e Ille g a l

9. Wh a t is N o t V is ib le

10. F a rm e rs R ig h t ? ? ?

11. T h e N e w S e e ds A c t
R e pla c in g S e e ds A c t o f 1 9 6 6

12. A ll n e w le g is la tiv e a c t a re a
pla n to ro b t h e e c o lo g y a n d
Etc…
t h e fa rm e r

13. A g ric u lt u re a s in
A rt ic le 2 4 6 o f
C o n s tit u t io n
L IS T II o f 7 th
S c h e du le
[E x c lu s iv e
S t a t e L is t]
It e m 1 4 :
Agriculture,
including
agricultural
education and
research,
protection
against pests
and prevention
of plant diseases

14. P a te n ts b y t h e G o v e rn m e n t

15. I.P .R . o n F o o d
 What role IPR on Foods have to play in this?
 Is Indian IPR/Patents a Myth? Are our research
institutions being cheated?
 Commercial exploitation/ licensing of Indian IPR/
Patents is just 0.5% of the patents registered.
Wh o G a in s ? Wh o
b e n e fit s ?

16. N e w L e g is la t io n in t h e
P a rlia m e n t
 What is our Parliament trying to do?
 Who will gain out of our new legislation?
 The Seed Act, BRAI, etc.
 Why IP on Seeds, Subsidy on Fertilizers,
GM Crop, etc. the main focus of the
Government?
Is th e re a c o n s pira c y to
c o n t ro l h u n g e r?

17. C o n s t itu t io n o f In dia

18. V io la tio n o f A rt ic le 2 1
Safeguarding commercial interest
(Read Greed) and IPR’s on Food
and Agriculture is a definite
violation of

19. C o n c e n t ra tio n o f We a lt h
India's total income tax assesses
figure is a 3.5 crore taxpayers. Of
these,
o n ly 8 5 ,0 0 0
people have a declared annual
income of more than Rs 10 lakh

20. Wh a t Driv e s th e E c o n o m y
Only
1%
of people have ever invested in the
share market.
Major share-holdings is
concentrated in less than
0 .1 %
of investors

21. A g ric u lt u re – Ho w V a lu a b le fo r
In dia
 India work force consist of 52 crores
 Out of which 60% directly work in agriculture
[ Industry - 12% : services - 28% : unemployment 6.8%]
 Agriculture still remains the dominant sector
that employs almost two thirds of people
unemployed. It has acquired 29.4 percent of
India's GDP, employs over 67% of people
and has occupied 43% of India's
geographical area.

22. B u t S t ill
India ranks 65th out of 88
countries on the 2009
Global Hunger Index with
worse under-nutrition rates
than nearly 25 Sub-Saharan
African countries.
How did we reach here?

23. T h e n Wh y ?
T h e n w h y w e a re
t re a t in g o u r g re a t e s t
w o rk fo rc e lik e th is ?
Is t h e re a n a g e n da ?
Is t h e re a c o n s pira c y ?

24. Wh a t ’s th e P ro b le m ?
Is State responsible for
it?
Is this the biggest human
rights issue of all times?
Who all are behind this?

25. F ro m Wh e re th e Mo n e y C o m e s

26. Wh e re Y o u r Mo n e y G o e s

27. B u dg e t L a y o u t

28. F e rtilize rs T a rg e t
B u dg e t : 2 0 1 0 -2 0 1 1

29. Wit h a ll t h e s e s u b s idie s h o w o u r
a g ric u lt u re is do in g ?

30. T h e N e w s is n o t g o o d

31. B u t F e rt ilize rs

32. Wh e re a re w e s pe n din g ?

33. Wh e re a re w e g o in g ?

34. In dic a t o rs

35. B u t th e R e a lit y
While Food Production increased 4/5
times; Chemical Fertilizers increased
nearly 100 folds. Subsidy bill also
increased by the same rate

36. T h is is t h e
B ig g e s t S c a m o f A ll
T im e s
B ig g e s t V io la t io n o f
Hu m a n R ig h t s o f A ll
T im e s

37. T ha nk Y ou
Questions
&
Comments