PLANT BREEDERS RIGHTS IN LATIN-AMERICA - THE EFFECT ON THE TRANSFER OF FOREIGN PLANT-VARIETIES

Many Latin American countries are currently introducing intellectual p roperty protection legislation for plant varieties. This process is th e result both of foreign pressure and of domestic demands from firms w hich aim at enhanced participation in global technological cooperation . This article concludes that the introduction of plant breeders' righ ts legislation may improve access to those plant genetic resources whi ch are concentrated with foreign private firms. However, exploitation of these resources may be restricted by the right holder; especially w hen it substitutes for existing exploitation in the main (foreign) mar kets.