Regulating Biopatenting: A Case for Contrast or Convergence?

Biopatenting is a controversial and central aspect of the most significant challenges currently facing societies and governments around the world. It is drawn into alternative energy technology, waste-management, food production, and public health, to mention a few. Given the diversity of global perspectives, a unified approach to biopatent regulation may be difficult to achieve across governance sectors and in different countries, but of critical importance. Or perhaps not?

You are invited to join a select group of scholars, policy makers, NGOs, technology business innovators, and experienced legal practitioners for this workshop/mini-conference on comparative regulatory policies in biopatenting and their future. The event will be held from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm on Friday June 27th. 2008, at the Brocher Foundation, and is hosted with the Foundation’s support by Dr. Bita Amani, Assistant Professor of Law from Queen’s University, Canada.

The purpose of this workshop is to bring together a multi and interdisciplinary group to share perspectives, experiences, and future projections for biopatent policy and regulatory diversity and to encourage fruitful discussion on practical issues in operationalizing policy initiatives for coherent regulation across sectors. In addition, we hope to promote further pluridisciplinary thinking on the governance issues related to the ethical, legal, and social implications of biotechnologies for humanity and society as set out in the mission of the Brocher Foundation’s main current programme. Discussion will focus on biopatent policies at the intersection of other “sectors of vital importance” to “socio-economic and technical development” from different stakeholder perspectives and policy preferences.

Please contact us by June 15th, 2008 to participate.