Modern Plant Breeding, Artificial Intelligence, and Intellectual Property Rights

Keywords: plant breeding, artificial intelligence, intellectual property rights, big data, genomics, phenomics

Abstract

The modern plant breeding to obtain new plant varieties is based on genomic and phenomic selection generated through big data with millions of information points. In the face of such a quantity of data, it is necessary to use artificial intelligence to combine a complete vision and analysis of the problem through a human-computer interaction never addressed.
The use of artificial intelligence has already created interpretive challenges in patents and copyrights. To a greater extent, modern plant breeding with the assistance of artificial intelligence is exposing major disarticulations and anachronisms in the Plant Breeder's Rights and patent systems for biotechnological inventions. The challenges may even extend to the question of who would be entitled to the right in the case of products obtained without human intervention.
The analysis of the situation indicates, on the one hand, that it would be necessary a review of the international framework of intellectual property rights in plant living matter which is based on independent treaties and conventions that apply to an indivisible organism as is a new plant variety. A more logical proposal would be to have a single, modern, and up-to-date comprehensive sui generis protection system for all types of plant germplasm. On the other hand, it is proposed that, even in the case of products obtained through complete artificial intelligence processes, there must always be a human person legally responsible of the consequences of their actions, whether positive or negative.

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Author Biography

Miguel A. Rapela, Centro de la Propiedad Intelectual, Facultad de Derecho, Universidad Austral

Ingeniero Agrónomo y doctor en Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales (Universidad Nacional de La Plata). Director Académico de la Maestría en Propiedad Intelectual (Facultad de Derecho, Universidad Austral). Profesor asociado Categoría I (Facultad de Derecho, Universidad Austral). Director de Vinculación, Plataforma de Genómica y Mejoramiento (UBATEC S.A./FAUBA). Miembro de los Comités Técnicos de la Comisión Nacional de Semillas (CONASE). Exmiembro de la carrera de Investigador y Profesor en el Instituto Fitotécnico de Santa Catalina (Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, UNLP).  Exdirector ejecutivo de la Asociación Semilleros Argentinos (ASA) y de la Asociación Argentina de Protección de las Obtenciones Vegetales (ArPOV). Exmiembro de la Comisión Nacional Asesora de Biotecnología Agropecuaria (CONABIA). Expresidente de la Fundación de la Facultad de Agronomía de la UBA. Expresidente del Comité de Propiedad Intelectual, International Seed Federation.

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Published
2020-12-12
How to Cite
Rapela, M. A. (2020). Modern Plant Breeding, Artificial Intelligence, and Intellectual Property Rights. Revista Jurídica Austral, 1(2), 839-866. https://doi.org/10.26422/RJA.2020.0102.rap
Section
Law and Disruptive Technologies