1. people or companies that illegally collect, exploit, or profit from biological resources (such as plants, genes, or traditional knowledge) from developing countries without permission or fair compensation
Usage: plural form; usually pejorative; often used in discussions of environmental ethics and intellectual property rights

Examples

• Environmental groups accused the pharmaceutical company of acting as biopirates by harvesting medicinal plants from the rainforest without consent.
• Biopirates have extracted valuable genetic material from indigenous crops and patented them for profit.
• The treaty was designed to prevent biopirates from exploiting the country's rich biodiversity.
• Local communities worry that biopirates will steal their traditional knowledge about native plants.
• International law now aims to protect developing nations from biopirates seeking to commercialize their natural resources.