THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF PATENTS ON BIOTECHNOLOGY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY AMONGST COUNTRIES OF DIFFERENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEVELS

Abstract

The paper compares biotechnology researchers' perception of The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Great Britain, and of the Brazilian Organization of Agricultural Research (Embrapa), of Brazil, upon social and economic impacts of patenting on agricultural biotechnology. Sixty-two researchers (34 of BBSRC and 28 of Embrapa) filled out a standardized questionnaire with a Likert four-point scale. Thirteen managers (six of BBSRC and seven of Embrapa) were interviewed based on a partially open interview schedule. It was possible to stress that both researchers groups have an acute opinion about the relationship between patenting and society. Nevertheless, there are perception differences, on the patenting impacts relating to the information and materials flow amongst researchers; on the commercial relations amongst small and medium farmers and the big agrochemical companies; on the encouraging of further innovations, and on innovation transfer from developed to developing countries.