Topic: ENVIORNMENT & IPR POLICIES: AN ANALYSIS

Research Theme:

In present day situation there is an ambiguous picture of the

policies of IPR related to environment. The central challenge facing
researchers and policymakers is isolating the linkages between IPRs
and the environment. These linkages are virtually never direct;
indeed IPRs form part of an overall context of incentives and
disincentives vis-à-vis the environment. The research will cover
analysis of the IPR policies, and their impact on the issues related
to environmental sustainable development of the country.

Objective & Scope:

The objective of the research is to mark and analyse the issues

which are both visible and invisible as related to environment and
its sustainable development with respect to the IPR policy. The
research will focus in finding the answers to the ambiguity stated
above and examine the provisions in existing regimes for
implementation of appropriate national action; and also point to
possible alternative regimes and actions that could help to resolve
the conflicts between IPRs and protection of environmental
sustainable growth. The research will cover the issues related to
conservation policies for Indigenous Knowledge, issues related with
Biodiversity, genetic engineering impact on Agriculture produce and
micro-organisms, climatic effects, issues of monopoly & competition
in the market. It will focus on the IPR policies agreed and the pros-
&-cons of these on the environment.

Statement of Problem:

The policies related to the IPRs are not clearly depicting the picture
related with the environmental issue. The current IPR policies are
ambiguous and are not clearly giving the idea about their stand on
the environmental sustainable development. There are few areas
which seeks clarity when we talk about the IPR policies, these are:

Monopoly in Agriculture weather will it work for India which

has no proper protection mechanism for poor farmers. FDI in
 agribusiness weather a future for individual and small
farmers. It will also give birth to new pesticide industry. How
good are the new genetically modified breeds of crops if we
talk about their environmental aspects. Entry of Indigenous
Knowledge in to commercial arena weather curse or boon
according to present policies. Exploitation of Natural
Resources- how fruitful etc... All these give rise to some
questions which demands clarity and to be answered
accordingly:

(a) Weather IPR policies are exploiting the developing countries like
India.

(b) Weather IPR policies are not considering the environmental

aspects of IPR and only focusing on the economic aspects of it.

(c) Weather the current policies have the potential to contribute to

the sustainable development of the environment in these countries.

(d) Are these policies sufficient in protecting & managing the

natural resource base of the developing countries like India.

Research Method:

Analytical approaches to be opted in order to understand better the

amount and nature of traditional knowledge, existing mechanisms
for its protection (formal and informal), and its relationship with
wider issues, like economical & social growth. A inquiry is then
needed to assess the policy and legal responses to the causal
relationships. A key issue is whether, and how, should many of
these issues should be dealt with in the IPR process, as opposed to
using other instruments and approaches, affected communities,
and consequently, on their natural environments.