Govt panel to fight basmati patent in US

The technical committee was formed after an inter-ministerial meeting involving departments of agriculture, industry and commerce besides the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) today.

The committee would make an all out effort to get the patent, issued by the US Patent Office in September last to Ricetec Inc. Co., revoked. The meeting also felt that the patent was extremely broad-based and would have serious repercussions on research, development and marketing of basmati.

The setting up of the panel follows the government’s statement that it would protectthe interest of the growers and trade fully.

Meanwhile, experts at a seminar at Chandigarh said today that India is on a weak wicket in its case on basmati rice.

"It is a little more difficult case," said Shahid Alichan, an international authority on Intellectual Property Right (IPR).

Alichan said India had not upadated its patent laws and the US firm’s claims might be well-protected under US laws.

Alikhan was formerly deputy director general of World Intellectual Property Organisation Alikhan said efforts at computerising and modernising the Indian Patent Offices had to be stepped up on a war footing to keep pace with Brazil and China.

V C Gupta, a scientist, said since India was not a member of a treaty for protection of new plant variety, it might have a weak case fighting basmati case with US patent authorities.