The University of Hawai'i's acquisition in 2002 of patents on three taro hybrids has launched a series of protests by farmers, Hawaiia ns and others concerned about the cultural, environmental and economic impacts of taro research.

University officials agree it's a difficult issue and want to launch discussions to determine how to proceed.

"The conversation needs to occur right now," said Gary Ostrander, UH-Manoa vice chancellor for research. "Given how important taro is, I think it's a moment at which everyone involved should sit down and come to a solution."

Demonstrators upped the ante with a rally Saturday on the UH campus at which they erected a stone ahu, or altar, with a carved figure of a man holding a taro plant aloft. The figures represent Haloa, in Hawaiian tradition the elder brother of the first human, from whose body grew the first taro, or kalo.

UH officials said the patents may actually protect the taro industry. [...] "If we don't patent it, Monsanto or someone else could slightly modify it and patent it. The thing, from our perspective, is how do you protect the intellectual property," said Andy Hashimoto, dean of the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

...why not use a process similar to the a general public license used for computer software or the Creative Commons Deed like I use here at the blog? Those allow for others to freely use the patented product, but not to resell or derive works based upon it without also offering others similar rights.