#PlantVarieties #EuropeanPatents #Biodiversity #FoodSecurity #PlantBreeding #TraditionalBreeders #EuropeanPatentOffice #PatentLaw #Innovation #AgriculturalSustainability #NoPatentsOnSeeds
Ucwaningo lwakamuva olwenziwe ngabakwaNo Patents on Seeds! kuveza ukuthi ngaphezu kwenkulungwane eyodwa izinhlobo zezitshalo ezifuywe ngendlela evamile ziwele ngaphansi kwethonya lamalungelo obunikazi aseYurophu, naphezu komthetho welungelo lobunikazi waseYurophu owenqabela ngokusobala amalungelo obunikazi ezinhlobonhlobo zezitshalo. Le ntuthuko eshaqisayo ngokuvamile ayizange ibonwe umphakathi, ibangele inkinga enkulu ohlelweni lokuzalanisa izitshalo yaseYurophu futhi ibeka engozini inkululeko yokusebenza kwabalimi bendabuko. Imiphumela yalo mkhuba ingaba nomthelela omkhulu ezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo kanye nokuvikeleka kokudla. Awekho Amalungelo Obunikazi Embewu! ibiza ukuthi kuthathwe izinyathelo zezombusazwe ngokushesha ukuze kubhekwane nalolu daba futhi kuvinjwe izinkampani ezinkulu ukuba zilawule izinsiza zofuzo zezitshalo.
Ngokusho kwe-No Patents on Seeds!, inani lezinhlobo zezitshalo ezisanda kwethulwa ezingena emakethe futhi zimbozwe ngamalungelo obunikazi liyakhula. Eziningi zalezi zinhlobo ezifuywe ngendlela evamile zingaphansi kwezicelo zamalungelo obunikazi amaningi, okubonisa ukukhula okukhulayo kwemithombo yofuzo yezitshalo zobunikazi. Lesi simo siphakamisa ukukhathazeka mayelana nokufinyeleleka kanye nokuba khona kwezinto zokuzalanisa izitshalo kubalimi bendabuko, okungenzeka kube nomkhawulo ekhono labo lokusungula izinto ezintsha nokuzivumelanisa nezidingo zezolimo ezishintshayo.
I-European Patent Office (EPO), eyasungulwa eminyakeni engamashumi amahlanu edlule, ibhekene nokugxekwa ngezinqumo zayo ezingqubuzana nesisekelo somthetho esibekwe i-European Patent Convention (EPC), ewanqabela ngokusobala amalungelo obunikazi ezinhlobonhlobo ezifuywe ngendlela evamile. Nakuba umyalelo we-EU (98/44) uvumela amalungelo obunikazi ekusungulweni kwezobuchwepheshe njengezitshalo ezishintshashintshayo, incazelo ye-EPO yomthetho welungelo lobunikazi iholele kumphumela ongahlosiwe wobunikazi bezinhlobo ezifuywe ngendlela evamile. Awekho Amalungelo Obunikazi Embewu! ikhuthaza i-EPO ukuthi ilungise lolu daba futhi ihambisane nemithetho yelungelo lobunikazi yaseYurophu ukuze kuvikelwe inkululeko yabalimi bezitshalo yokusebenza.
Imiphumela yalokhu kuthambekela okushaqisayo ifinyelela kude. Abakhiqizi bezitshalo bendabuko, abebengabagcini bezinhlobonhlobo zofuzo zezitshalo izizukulwane ngezizukulwane, manje sebebhekene nokuphela okungenzeka kwenkululeko yabo yokusebenza. Uma amalungelo obunikazi eqhubeka nokunikezwa ezinhlotsheni zezitshalo ezifuywe ngendlela evamile, lokho kungase kuphazamise ukuqalwa kabusha futhi kuvimbele ukuthuthukiswa kwezinhlobo ezintsha ezijwayele izimo ezihlukahlukene zokukhula kanye nezinselelo ezishintshayo zemvelo. Lokhu, kungase kube nomthelela omubi ekuvikelekeni kokudla esikhathini esizayo kanye nokusimama kwezolimo.
Awekho Amalungelo Obunikazi Embewu! igcizelela isidingo sokuthi uMkhandlu Wokuphatha we-EPO, owakhiwe ngabameleli abavela ezifundeni ezingama-39 ezinenkontileka, uthathe isinyathelo esiwujuqu ekubhekaneni nale nkinga. Ukuhunyushwa okufanele komthetho, njengoba kuvezwe ku-European Patent Convention, kufanele kusetshenziswe ukuze kuvinjwe ukuvinjwa kokuqanjwa okusha ekuzaleni kwezitshalo ngokwesiko kanye nokuvikela ukuvikeleka kokudla kwesikhathi esizayo. Le nhlangano icaphuna ukwamukelwa kwakamuva komthetho kazwelonke welungelo lobunikazi e-Austria, owenqabela ngokusobala amalungelo obunikazi ekuzaleni okuvamile, njengesinyathelo esihle esingasebenza njengemodeli kwamanye amazwe okufanele asilandele.
Ukwengeza, Awekho Amalungelo Obunikazi Embewu! icela i-EU ukuthi ibambe iqhaza ekuxazululeni lolu daba. Isinqumo sephalamende laseDashi sokwethula ingxoxo yamalungelo obunikazi ezimbewu eMkhandlwini Wongqongqoshe BezoLimo be-EU sigqamisa isidingo sezinyathelo ezihlangene ezingeni le-EU ukuvikela izinsiza zofuzo zezitshalo nokugcina ubuqotho bohlelo lokuzalanisa izitshalo zase-Europe.