The Politics of Genetic Resource Control Author:Anthony J. Stenson, Tim S. Gray The question of how genetic resources ought to be owned and controlled has become an international political issue. The authors examine this issue from a normative perspective, discussing the four principles that govern the debate. These four principles are: proprietarian intellectual property rights (the dominant principle, reflecting Western i... more »nfluences); communitarian intellectual property rights (a principle bound with the rights of indigenous peoples); national sovereignty (the principle at the heart of international law); and common heritage of mankind (the most recent principle, reflecting Third World demands).« less