Rio, 5 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The head of the Brazilian Patent Office (INPI), José Graça Aranha, said yesterday that present discussions on biodiversity protection are where industrial protection discussions were a century ago. "We do not have legal precedents in this area that we can use as parameters for patent policy. Remember, it was only in 1883 that the Paris Convention on industrial property came into existence," said Aranha, as he revealed that an intergovermental committee has been examining the question since 2001. "We seek a balance which will protect the rights of those who own biodiversity and the interests of those who wish to develop biotechnology," he explained. (AB)