Following on from my colleague Georgia's earlier article on the European Parliament's proposals to ban patents for plants obtained by New Genomic Techniques, the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (epi, the body for European patent attorneys) have issued a position paper setting out their views.
Unsurprisingly, they are against the proposed ban. There are many good reasons for this position, articulated in the paper. The key points are that this is likely to stifle innovation; and there has been no consultation on the proposal, which is both vague and disproportionate.
I think a pithier way to respond would be to use the words of Olivia Rodrigo: "bad idea right?" (sic)
The impact of a patent ban on innovation in this highly innovative sector cannot be underestimated as the patent system ensures the disclosure of innovations to the public and allows a return on investment in development of new products.
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