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Daar, Abdallah S.; Castle, David --- "Introduction" [2009] ELECD 499; in Castle, David (ed), "The Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Biotechnology Innovation" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009)

Book Title: The Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Biotechnology Innovation

Editor(s): Castle, David

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781847209801

Section Title: Introduction

Author(s): Daar, Abdallah S.; Castle, David

Number of pages: 4

Extract:

Introduction
Abdallah S. Daar and David Castle

Researchers studying the role of intellectual property rights in innovation
systems often come to the issue as if it were a found object that needs to
be broken into its constituent parts and reassembled to understand it.
One can have sympathy for this situation. The role of IPRs in innova-
tion is so complex that organizing one's thoughts about the subject often
means peeling away many layers of distracting information and, one
hopes, ultimately getting to the heart of the matter. The problem with any
kind of analytical approach to a complex topic is that conceptual rigor
sometimes can displace from attention the historical context in which
complex systems like intellectual property arise. The downside of analysis
is forgetting the past. Of course, it is understandable if the needs of today
focus attention on the role of IPRs on their contemporary manifestation.
But there is a risk of forgetting that IPRs have country-specific histories
that significantly determine contemporary policies and practices. For this
reason, the final part in this book is dedicated to three studies in which the
historical development and national setting of IPRs are considered.
The chapter by Ian Inkster provides a magisterial overview of histori-
cal data examining the nexus between IP and innovation. The chapter by
Richard Boadi looks specifically at IP and technology transfer in agricul-
tural biotechnology, asking whether IPRs and technology transfer help to
energize innovation in the developing world and, if so, are ...