Articles

The name of the ad hoc working group IMODDUS at the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) stands for Integration of molecular data into DUS testing. The creation of IMODDUS was agreed by the CPVO Administrative Council (AC) in the framework of the adoption of the R&D Strategy for the period 2015-2020. To carry out its mission successfully is a priority for Martin Ekvad, the President of the CPVO. European Seed sat down with Anne Weitz, Technical Expert Plant Breeders Rights of the CPVO.

European Seed (ES): Recently there have been regular discussions about the use of

Introduction

Patents on plants have always been a ‘hot potato’. Similarly, the relationship between patents on plants and plant breeder’s rights has been subject of an intense societal and academic debate. Most recently, the grant of patents for plants resulting from essentially biological processes, notably tomatoes with reduced fruit water content and broccoli with anti-cancer potential, spurred stormy disputes. Decisions on the scope of plant biotech patents equally fueled a legal battle.

In the ongoing

This article has been published in the "berichten industriële eigendom", special issue 2017.

Written in honor of Paul van der