Conclusions
The agricultural biologists we surveyed report
that the IP protection of research tools is, on
balance, having a negative impact on their
research areas. These scientists, actively involved
on both sides of exchanges of research materials,
associate the spread of IP protection with
the proliferation of MTAs, which in turn has
increased the frequency of cases of delayed or
blocked access to needed research tools.
These responses are grounded in experience;
the IP rights–related research delays the
biologists report are strongly and negatively
correlated with their attitudes to IP protection.
Although they believe problems of timely access
to be increasing, few perceive any evidence of
increased competitive withholding of cooperation
by their peers.
At first glance, our sample’s views regarding
IP protection might appear to be at
odds with previous surveys attributing the
research tool access problem to scientists’
reluctance to share materials they control,
motivated by increasing competitive
pressures, cost of sharing or commercial
concerns2,8. However, none of those surveys
asked scientists for their own assessment of
the effects of IP protection on research in
their fields. Our general conclusions are consistent
with the fact that each of the AAAS’
Project on Science and Intellectual Property
in the Public Interest four-country studies