The patent system has been claimed to be one of the ways of facilitating the transfer of technology from the industrialised North to the less developed countries of the South. It is by no means the only way in which this can be done. For one thing, not all technology is patented. Also, quite often before a patented process can be successfully worked there is need for the transfer of unpatented know-how along with the technology covered by the patent. Besides, it is not the patent itself which enables the transfer of the technology; rather, by making the title and exclusive rights of the patentee secure, it emboldens him to transfer his technology to others for commercial exploitation. Nevertheless, the patent is an important factor in the technology transfer process. As one United Nations report has put it:
Plant microbiome structure and benefits for sustainable agriculture
