INDIAN PARLIAMENT ADJOURNED OVER THE BASMATI PATENT ISSUE

New Delhi, Aug 21: Both Houses of Indian Parliament witnessed strong protests from the Opposition parties over the Aug 14 decision of the USPTO upholding the controversial  patent on basmati rice to the American company, Rice Tec. Although the title of the patent does not mention the word 'basmati', the abstract of the patent says that the three patented rice lines are superior in quality to the basmati rice grains and also adds that the cooking quality and starch index matches the traditional basmati grain preparations.

  Newspapers like The Hindustan Times,  and the Hindi big dailies Amar Ujala and Rashtriya Sahara, had carried the lead story, based on a statement by food and trade policy analyst, Devinder Sharma.

  Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till lunch. Re-assembling after lunch, Parliament was told that the government was carefully studying the implications and the Minister of Commerce, Mr Murlisaran Maran, will make a statement in both Houses -- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha -- tomorrow.

  Although the government has launched a massive cover-up operation, with statements being made by various ministers and senior officials stating that the patent is no threat to basmati exports from India, Devinder Sharma said today that the bigger issue is the way the USPTO has granted the patent through the 'back-door'. "It is a clever manipulation of the patent norms to ensure that RiceTec doesn't lose its face, while at the same time opening up a pandora box for India to remain embroiled in legal wranglings over the interpretation of the patent language."

Devinder Sharma has demanded that the government should muster enough courage to tell the USPTO to strike down the complete patent and at the same time point out at the basic flaws in the patenting system of the United States. The US patent regime was actually meant for the mechanical sector and the same has now been extended to cover plant varieties and life patents. "One size cannot fit all", Sharma said, adding that the patent norms of the US have outlived their utility and needs to be immediately revised keeping the interest of the developing countries in view."

  "After all, USPTO has been in the thick of controversies with the granting of numerous patents based on the biodiversity and traditional knowledge of the developing countries," he said. Why can't the trade reforms begin by first reforming the USPTO?