Plant breeders' rights, also known as plant variety rights (PVR), are intellectual property rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant.

These laws typically grant the plant breeder control of the seed of a new variety and the right to collect royalties for a number of years. This guarantees income for the breeder to cover the costs of research and development. The purchase of protected varieties gives farmers the benefits of superior varieties. In return, farmers are expected to pay a small royalty, included in the purchase price, and not sell the seed that they produce. Farmers may store the production in their own bins for their own use as seed, but further sales for propagation purposes are not allowed without the written approval of the breeder.

Violations of Plant Breeders' Rights can result in litigation and court-ordered restitution to the breeder.

International rights

The WTOs Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIP) requires member states to provide protection for plant varieties either by patents or by an effective sui generis (stand alone) system, or a combination of the two. The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants also regulates plant breeders' rights internationally.

See also: Plant improvement

External link

• Sui Generis Systems for Plant Variety Protection