bi‧o‧pi‧ra‧cy /ˌbaɪəʊˈpaɪərəsi $ ˌbaɪoʊˈpaɪr-/ noun [uncountable]
the process in which large companies try to get patents on (=legal rights to) products that make use of plants, animals, genes etc that were developed over many years by nature or by farmers, especially farmers in poorer countries

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲