25 February 2011
CropLife welcomes the opportunity to make this submission in response to the proposed Patent Amendment ( Human Genes and Biological Materials ) Bill 2010.
CropLife appreciates that the intent of the Senators introducing this Bill is to improve the access of Australians to important healthcare technologies. However, the Bill, in its current form, will have several unintended and very negative effects on innovation in many industries that are completely unrelated to human healthcare, including the agricultural biotechnology and crop protection industries. It will also reduce Australia’s similarity to other national patent systems and it is highly likely that it would also contravene international agreements that Australia is a Party to including the TRIPS and AUSFTA Agreements.