2006年臺灣遺傳資源法草案之再思考——從接近及利益分享機制之實踐開始談起

Rethinking of the “2006 Draft of the Genetic Resources Act of Taiwan” from the Perspective of Implementation Regarding Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Regimes

Access and benefit-sharing regimes are founded by international agreements concerning plant genetic resources (PGRs) in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR), which attempt to balance and allocate interests of PGRs between developed and developing countries. PGRs have potential economic and medical value in the development of the Taiwanese biotechnology industry; therefore, conservation of PGRs is crucial for Taiwan. The second “Draft of the Genetic Resources Act of Taiwan” was finished in 2006 by scholars appointed by the Executive Yuan to the Council of Agriculture. ABS regulations form a significant portion of these statutes. Although the statutes contain other provisions, the ABS regulations were an important milestone for the development of the Taiwanese biotechnology industry. In particular, plants did not become the subject matter of the Patent Act in the 2010 and 2011 amendments of the Priority Right to the Plant Variety and Plant Seed Act after the “Cross-Strait Intellectual Property Right Protection Cooperation Agreement” was signed in 2010. This article not only discusses current ABS laws in Taiwan but also attempts to discuss potential interactions among the Draft of the Genetic Resources Act of Taiwan, Patent Act, and Plant Variety and Plant Seed Act should the Draft of the Genetic Resources Act of Taiwan be passed in the future.

接近及利益分享機制乃是源起與植物遺傳資源有關的國際條約之規範，如生物多樣性公約和國際農糧公約，然其功能在於平衡與分配已開發及開發中國家間之利益。在強調生物科技產業發展的臺灣，由於植物遺傳資源有其經濟及醫療之功能，故保護植物遺傳資源在臺灣是重要的。臺灣遺傳資源法草案乃是由行政院農業委員會，委託學者於2006年草擬二稿完成，而當中則針對接近及利益分享機制，有相當比例之規範。雖然遺傳資源法草案不只有接近及利益分享機制之規定，但它卻是生物科技產業的發展之一個重要里程碑。特別是在2011年新修正的專利法排除植物為受專利保護之標的，以及在2010年「海峽兩岸智慧財產權保護合作協議」簽訂後，針對植物品種及種苗法優先權之修訂。本文不僅探討臺灣有關接近及利益分享機制之法律外，還嘗試討論遺傳資源法草案在未來通過立法前，遺傳資源法、專利法、植物品種及種苗法等法律之間的互動關係。