Competition and the Intellectual Property System:
Seeds and Other Agricultural Inputs
University of Wisconsin – Madison
A link to schedule an interview is at the bottom of the page, please read the following information about the study first.
Thank you for your interest in participating in an interview for the report on “Competition and the Intellectual Property System: Seeds and Other Agricultural Inputs” Please review the consent information sheet below. Scheduling an interview means that you have read and understand the consent information and agree to participate. We will use the questions from the request for information which are available here: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-05667. You can choose which questions you wish to respond to. We may ask follow up questions as needed. We will take notes on paper and will create a summary of those notes without any identifying information and store this summary in a secure UW Box folder which will be used to inform the content of the report. If you wish to stop the interview at any point you may do so. Email communication may be subject to public records requests so please do not communicate any information that you wish to remain confidential via email.
Research Participant Information and Consent
Study Title: Competition and the Intellectual Property System: Seeds and Other Agricultural Inputs
Principal Investigator: Julie Dawson (Phone: 608-609-6165) (Email: dawson@hort.wisc.edu)
Description of the research
As part of the Executive Order titled “Promoting Competition in the American Economy,” the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary) is directed to prepare a report on concerns and strategies for ensuring that the intellectual property (IP) system, while incentivizing innovation, does not also unnecessarily reduce competition in seed and other input markets. We wish to provide a confidential manner for seed system stakeholders to provide comments to inform this report. Comments provided will inform the Secretary’s report to the White House. This report will be used to guide executive action to improve fair competition in the seed industry.
After review of the public comments submitted, we have identified gaps in stakeholder groups that provided comments and are reaching out to groups that may want to provide comments confidentially. This research will be conducted via UW-Madison Zoom or phone interview.
What will my participation involve?
If you decide to participate in this research, you will be asked to schedule an interview. Please read the request for information, available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/03/17/2022-05667/competition-and-the-intellectual-property-system-seeds-and-other-agricultural-inputs, and choose which questions you are most interested in responding to before your interview time. Your interview will last approximately 1 hour, and we estimate that it may take you 30 minutes to prepare ahead of time.
Are there any risks to me?
No identifying information will be recorded during the interview. A summary of the interview will be stored on a secure UW Box folder with no identifying information included. Summaries will remain confidential, and used to inform the report. In the unlikely event of a data breach of UW Madison Box or Doodle accounts, the fact that you participated in an interview might be revealed, however, no identifying information will be linked to the summary notes from your interview. Email communication may be subject to public records requests, and while we will make every effort to keep emails about this study confidential, please do not communicate any information that you wish to remain confidential via email.
Are there any benefits to me?
This study will contribute to executive action to improve fair competition in the seed industry. There are no direct benefits to you as a participant.
How will my confidentiality be protected?
This study is confidential. Neither your name or any other identifiable information will be published. Interviews will be conducted via zoom or phone and not recorded. Notes will be taken on paper, and summarized electronically without any identifying information. Summaries will be stored in a secure UW Box folder. No identifying information will be included in the report.
Whom should I contact if I have questions?
You may ask any questions about the research at any time. If you have questions, concerns, or complaints, or think that participating in the research has hurt you, talk to the research team or contact the Principal Investigator Julie Dawson at 608-609-6165.
If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant or have complaints about the research study or study team, call the confidential research compliance line at 1-833-652-2506. Staff will work with you to address concerns about research participation and assist in resolving problems.
If you decide not to participate or to withdraw from the study, you may do so without penalty.
To schedule an interview, please go to the following link:
https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/eg5g4VYb
Please read the request for information, available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/03/17/2022-05667/competition-and-the-intellectual-property-system-seeds-and-other-agricultural-inputs, and choose which questions you are most interested in responding to before your interview time.