1. a person or company that illegally collects or exploits biological resources (such as plants, genes, or traditional knowledge) from developing countries without permission or fair compensation
Usage: often used in environmental and legal contexts; typically pejorative

Examples

• Environmental groups accused the pharmaceutical company of acting as a biopirate by harvesting medicinal plants from the rainforest without consent.
• Biopirates have extracted valuable genetic material from indigenous crops, profiting while local farmers receive nothing.
• The treaty was designed to prevent biopirates from stealing traditional knowledge about native plants.
• Developing nations have strengthened their laws to protect against biopirates seeking to monopolize their natural resources.
• Critics argue that some biotechnology firms operate as biopirates in their search for undiscovered organisms.