A Chinese official Tuesday called for developing countries to take more actions to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) in the agriculture field, saying traditional knowledge and genic resources in some developing countries had been robbed by developed countries.

Zhang Zhigang, director of the State Office of Intellectual Property Protection Work Group, said at a press conference that IPR protection in the agricultural field has encountered with some new problems, as developed countries have pirated traditional knowledge and genic resources of some developing countries, and applied for patents.

Without giving the developing countries any compensation, developed countries have seriously infringed on the interests of developing countries, said Zhang, also vice minister of commerce.

According to him, India and Thailand have discovered cases of their own IPR in agricultural being robbed by some multinationals. High-level talks within the framework of the World Trade Organization have been going on to seek solution to the protection traditional knowledge and genic resources.

France issued a law to protect its wine making industry in 1927, which contains specific provisions on the planting, picking, processing, transport, package, marketing and export of wine. The law has contributed greatly to the development of agriculture in France.

"China always puts emphasis on IPR protection concerning agriculture, farmers and the countryside," Zhang said, "and local administrative and judicial departments have worked hard in law enforcement to protection the farmers' interests.

Source: Xinhua