The aim of the project was to present in a study information about the fast developing topic of digital sequence information (DSI) and ABS, especially about the question how such DSI has to be dealt with when using genetic material under the conditions of the Nagoya Protocol of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The CBD had asked for such information as a basis for further negotiations and the study wants to support this process. A questionnaire was developed and presented to representatives of basic research, industry and collections and the study was based on the responses (of more than 300 participants) and a literature review. The study was done in English. A round table invited by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation discussed the draft version of the study and the comments were integrated into the final version.