Economics of Intellectual Property Rights in PlantMaterials

This paper presents an economic perspective on intellectual property in plantmaterials, including its value, and summary information on the U.S. seed industry. It firstconsiders intellectual property rights--types, economic incentives that they bestow, and usesacross developed and developing countries. Second, it considers the U.S. seed industry--characteristics for major crops, optimal pricing of a superior variety, and relative size ofpublic and private research expenditures. Some conclusions and implications are presented inthe final section.[...]