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EUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEANSEEDI9theplantbreedingindustrythisdiscussiontookplaceleadingtostatementsandpositionpapersotheorganisationsactiveinthebreedingsectorlikeISFESAandPlantumILPmanagingdirectorChrisvanWindensays.ElevenvegetablebreedingcompaniestooktheinitiativestimulatedbytheDutchParliamenttoinvestigateasystemthatwouldhelptosaeguardworldwideaccesstobiologicalmaterialthatiscoveredbypatentsotheircompetitors.Duringaperiodoaroundouryearsdiscussionsandnegotiationstookplaceinasteeringcommitteethatconsistedothe11vegetablebreedingcompanies.ThesuccessulresultwastheormationotheILP.PRACTICALSOLUTIONSMembercompaniesconcur.SyngentaisproudtobeaoundingmemberotheInternationalLicensingPlatormandweullysupportthisnewbusinessassociationtoimproveaccesstoanduseoplantbreedingtraitsorvegetablesSyngentalicensingheadLeoMelcherssays.TheILPprovidesastraightorwardeasywayorvegetablebreederstolicensetheinnovativetraitstheyneedataairandreasonablecost.LikeSyngentase-licensingplatormwww.traitability.comtheILPshowsthatpracticalsolutionscanbeoundbyindustryplayerswhichbalancetheneedortheinnovationincentivesopatentswiththeneedtoensureaccesstocrucialbiologicalmaterialortheplantbreedingcommunity.TheILPwillhelpplantbreedersbringnewproductstothemarketthatmeetdemandsromgrowersandconsumersandthathelpstheworldaddressoodsecurity.TheaimotheILPistoprovideaneasywayorvegetablebreedersaroundtheworldtolicensethetraitstheyneedintheirbreedingactivitiesatairandreasonablecostsothattheycanbringnewproductstothemarketthatmeetthedemandsromgrowersandconsumers.Weareavegetablebreedingcompanyaimingtodevelopthebestvegetablevarieties.InordertobeabletoprovidethemarketwithgoodnewvarietiesweneedaccesstobiologicalmaterialavailableinthemarketandothergeneticresourceslikegenebanksBenTaxmanagingdirectoroRijkZwaanintheNetherlandssays.IthisaccessisblockedbecauseitscoveredbyapatentclaimdevelopersarehinderedindevelopingnewvarietiesTaxnotes.Ingeneralinnovationwillbesloweddownwhichisbadortheentiresectorandorthetotalworldsoodsupply.ThemembersotheILPguaranteetheothermembersaccesstobiologicalmaterialcoveredbytheirpatentsatreasonableprices.Andthesereasonablepriceswillbedeterminedbyindependentexperts.ThemembersotheILParerequiredtomakealltheirpatentsrelatedtovegetablebreedingtraitsincludingpublishedapplicationsaccessibletotheirellowmembersundertheconditionsotheILP.AccordingtoMichaelKockheadointellectualpropertyorSyngentatheILPisimportantormanydierentreasons.Firstandmaybemostimportantitdemonstratesthatpatentsasincentiveortechnicalinnovationsinplantscienceandreeaccesstobreedingmaterialarenotanunresolvablecontradictionhesays.TheILPisbasedontheprinciplereeaccessbutnotorreewhichprovidesopenaccessoraairbeneitsharingwiththeinnovator.WehopethattheILPasaconstructivesolutioncouldbearolemodelorhowtore-aligntheseedindustrytoreduceinternaldebatesandreeupenergyorthebigchallengesthatlayaheadousorexampledevelopingnewvarietiesthatmeetconsumerdemandsdeliverhigheryieldsandhelparmersdealwithclimatechange.Seconditprovidesaplatormorhowwecanoerandaccessplant-relatedinventionsinaverypragmaticwaywithlowtransactionalcostsandunderairreasonableandtransparentconditions.AccordingtoMelchersthelicenseeesareonlypaidonceanewvarietyderivingromthepatentisbeingbroughttomarket.TheILPissetuptobecomethemaintradingplatormorvegetable-relatedpatentinventionsandarolemodelorestablishinganopenIPregimeintheseedindustry.SIMPLEANDTRANSPARENTTheILPslicensingsystemissimpletrans-parentandoperatesatlowtransactioncostsi.e.usingstandardcontracts.Iamemberwantstotakealicensetouseaellowmem-berspatentedinventionthetwopartiesbeginbilateralnegotiations.Inoagreementisreachedwithinthreemonthsthecaseissubmittedtoindependentexperts.Theinnovativeaspectothesystemisthemeth-ododecision-makingbytheindependentexperts.Itusesabaseballarbitrationmodelwherebybothpartiessubmittheirlicenseeeproposaltotheindependentexpertswhothenchooseonlythemostreasonableproposalamongthetwobutcannotmedi-ateacompromise.Thisorcesbothpartiestoadoptreasonablepositionsromtheoutsetbecauseanunreasonablepositionwillberejectedinavouroamorereasonablecompetingproposalandthelosingpartywillneedtopaythecostsothearbitrationprocess.Oncetheexpertssetalicenseeethiseeiscommunicatedtoallotherpartiestoincreasetransparency.AllmembershaveilledoutapatentregistrationormandallmembersotheILPhavereceivedinormationaboutthelistoregisteredpatentsWindensays.Atthismomentaround120patentsareinthesystem.InthefrstgeneralmeetingotheILPitwasdecidedthattheinormationaboutthepatentswouldbepubliclyavailableandsoonitwillbeclearhowmanyandwhichpatentsareincluded.Howeverthisisnotall.InadditiontopatentspertainingtotraitsalsopatentsgrantedonplantvarietiesassucharecoveredbytheILP.InpracticethisonlyappliestoU.S.patentsasinEuropeplantvarietiesassuchareexcludedrompatentability.Howeverinsteadothebaseballprocedureaso-callednon-assertprovisionappliesortheuseopatentedmaterialorbreedingpurposes.ThiscreatesakindobreedersexemptionundertheU.S.patentsprovidedthattheresultingnewvarietiesthatarebredbyusingtheprotectedvarietyaresufcientlydierentromthatprotectedvariety.ThesepatentswillnotbeincludedintheregisterChrisvanWindenILPmanagingdirector.THEILPPROVIDESASTRAIGHTFORWARDEASYWAYFORVEGETABLEBREEDERSTOLICENSETHEINNOVATIVETRAITSTHEYNEEDATAFAIRANDREASONABLECOST.