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Now, consider a less dichotomous application of these two narratives, Prometheus and the
numu, to our particular problem. Those who hold or seek to hold patent rights to GMOs do not
all demand exclusive control, and many who oppose them do not oppose all patent rights. For
compromise to occur, those wedded to a Promethean view of genetic engineering must recognize
that GMO technology thus far in the hands of its advocates expresses an attitude of personal
responsibility and a desire for control and abundance. The current challenge for democratic
politics is to bring those who believe in the Prometheus myth together with those who see
technology through the eyes of the numu. One sign that compromise on this issue is possible is
the recent announcement in Science by several U.S. research universities and foundations of their
intention to share intellectual property rights for GMO foods with developing countries and non-
profit institutions. One feature of this new cooperative initiative is the creation of a mechanism
for pooling specific technology packages so as to reduce the “transaction costs now associated
with negotiating the large number of licences required to develop a new cultivar.”
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Richard C. Atkinson, et al., “Public Sector Collaboration for Agricultural IP
Management,” Science, Vol. 310, 11 July 2003, pp.174-175.
Convention