Understanding the emergence of terminator technologies

The emergence of terminator technology has generally been viewed with a great deal of apprehension on account of its potential to bring far-reaching changes in the seed industry and in long-standing agricultural practices. This paper argues that terminator technology must be seen as an induced response to the inadequacies and weaknesses of existing intellectual property rights institutions. The technology could have a significant impact on the appropriability of returns from investment in plant breeding and consequently on the development of new plant varieties. The potential of this technology for accelerating innovations in plant breeding needs to be carefully harnessed by public policy. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.