The question of how genetic resources ought to be owned and controlled has become an international political issue. The authors examine this issue from a normative perspective, discussing the four principles that govern the debate. These four principles are: proprietarian intellectual property rights (the dominant principle, reflecting Western influences); communitarian intellectual property rights (a principle bound with the rights of indigenous peoples); national sovereignty (the principle at the heart of international law); and common heritage of mankind (the most recent principle, reflecting Third World demands).