Disclosure of origin/source and legal provenance

Developing countries had been pushing in various intergovernmental forums to make it mandatory to disclose in patent applications the source and/or country of origin of biological resources, of associated traditional knowledge and of legal acquisition of such resources, if such resources and/or traditional knowledge (TK) are contained in an invention over which an applicant is seeking patent rights. Disclosure of origin (and its variations) is seen as a key means to ensure that the IP system supports the access and benefit sharing (ABS) objectives of the CBD.

Related Subject(s): Economic and Social Development