The recognition of “intellectual property” (i.e. industrial/commercial exploitation) in genetic material (and therefore in life forms) is supposedly acknowledged only if some technical intervention has been made to it. These are the so-called biological patents – already particularly antisocial and dangerous.
However, the bio-tech capitalists could not wait to see when a genetically modified (mutated) species (insect, fungus, plant, animal…) would prove so successful as to yield eternal profits. That’s why they have already moved on to the next, and possibly final stage of their campaign for capitalist ownership over any form of life on the planet: the patenting of natural species!
The “European Patent Office” (EPO) has already recognized 20 “patents” on conventional plant species and conventional crops across various companies. How is this possible? Geneticists/experts examine variations of different natural species, variations that have occurred naturally over the centuries. Once they find one or more genetic differences from a “basic” variant, they take the DNA of this variant, modify it in the laboratory using Crispr/Cas, present it to the authorities as “new,” and patent it!
An example is a type of corn grown in northern Germany, which is resistant to low temperatures. The German company KWS found its genetic difference from corn in warmer climates, copied it with synthetic biology, and patented the variety – it is now considered a corporate asset and the company can demand “rent” or other compensation from those who have been cultivating it for centuries…
The companies that have entered this loophole are not random. Nunhems/BASF, Enza Zaaden, KWS, Rijk Zwaan, Seminis/Bayer, ChemChina/Syngenta: the money is plenty! The natural varieties that have so far fallen into their clutches are tomatoes, corn, melons, peppers, spinach, and wheat. What is the advantage of this piracy? Modified varieties often fail to demonstrate their “capabilities,” they can even prove catastrophic, leading the shares of biotech companies to plummet. Conversely, if natural varieties are artificially baptized, with proven properties and yields over decades or even centuries, and if legislation (i.e., states and their services) backs this pseudonymity, then companies can demand royalties-with-ease.
The organization No Patents on Seeds! filed an objection to the “patenting” of northern corn, which the EPO rejected. Such organizations do whatever they can, but it is reasonable that in order to put definitive obstacles in the way of this parasitic profit-making, mass movements are needed…