ABNJ is short for Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. It is what used to be called ‘high seas’ in earlier times.
- ABNJ is that part of the ocean over which no single nation has full control, or responsibility.
- Nearly 2/3rd of the world’s ocean lies in the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.
- In this areas, many unique species and ecosystems are found. Plants, algae, microbes and animals found in ABNJ are referred to as Marine Genetic Resources (MGR).
- Less than 0.0001 per cent of the ABNJ has been explored, but there is enough evidence that the ABNJ and MGR have already been negatively impacted by human activities.
- Patents cannot be granted for the discovery of a living organism as it exists in nature. Thus, marine creatures, howsoever unique, cannot be patented just because these have been ‘discovered’.
- Therefore, the pharmaceutical company cannot patent the deepsea creature with prospective miracle-medicinal properties encoded by its DNA.
(Source: Invention Intelligence)
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