Biopiracy

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Biopiracy is the name given to the process whereby an international company appropriates a wild plant, bacterium, or animal to develop a product or products without rewarding the country(s) from which the organisms have been taken. Often the organism in question has been used by the local population in traditional medicine and therapies. Biopiracy should be contrasted with the vast number of patents that international companies apply for whenever they develop or identify any organism, gene sequence or technique and with the amount of shareholder value is tied up in intellectual property.