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18IEUROPEANSEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COMaspecifcpatentnumberoryoucangetanoverviewothepatentsituationinaspecifccropionlythecropisselectedinthesearchcriteria.Furthercombinedsearchesarealsopossibletomaketheresearchmoretargetedandreducethenumberohitsintheend.WithregardstoitsusersithastobeunderlinedthatPINTOisapublicdatabaseaimedprimarilyatbreedersbutavailablereeochargetoanybodywhowishestouseit.ThereoreusersoPINTOareindividualpersonswhointhelargemajorityocasesbelongtothecommunityoplantbreedersandthusarelinkedtospeciiccompaniesbuttherearealsoanumberouserswhoarenotnecessarilybreeders.IntotalPINTOcurrentlyhascloseto400registeredusersromallovertheworld.COMPLETINGPINTOThedatabaseitselperormswellandgeneratestherequestedinormationquickly.InormationincludedinthePINTOdatabaseisupdatedeverysixmonths.ThismeansthatsincethecreationoPINTOtherehavebeentwogeneralupdatesbothresultingintheexpansionothecoverageoPINTOwithmorevarietiesandpatentsbeingadded.Neverthelessacontinuouschallengeremainsitscompleteness.PINTOisconstructedonthebasisoinormationreceivedromcompaniesdevelopingandmarketingvarietiesunderthescopeopatents.CompaniescontributetoPINTOonavoluntarybasisandESAiscontinuouslyworkingonreachingouttoasmanycompaniesaspossibleinordertomakePINTOascompleteaspossible.Despitealltheseeortstheexerciseisstillarrombeingfnalisedandalotoworkstillneedstobedoneoncoverage.AssuchithastobeacceptedthatPINTOduetoitsvoluntarynaturewillalwaysremainincompletetosomeextentandthuscomplementarytoolsarenecessaryorbreederstogetaullpictureonstatusovarieties.FrancoisMeienbergromthenon-governmentorganisationBerneDeclarationagrees.HementionsthatthePINTOdatabasecouldbeahelpultooltoincreasetransparencyregardingvarietiescoveredbypatentclaimsnotonlyorbreedersbutalsoorarmersconsumersNGOsorcivilservants.Forthistohappenthedatabaseneedstobemorereliablewithurtherimprovementsmade.Heeelstheinormationneedstobemoredetailedinregardtowhichcompaniesorotherbreedinginstitutionsparticipateandespeciallywhichdonotparticipate.Ithastobeclearwhathappensiacompanywhichisnotparticipatinginthedatabasesellsvarietiesunderapatentlicenseromanothercompanyorwhenthecompanyisout-licensingitsownpatents.Thegoalshouldbeaulltransparencyoreachandeveryvarietyonthemarketiitiscoveredbypatentclaimsornot.Probablysuchaullcoveragewillonlybepossibleithedatabaseismanagedbyagovernmentalagencyandwhenthereisalegalbasistomakeitmandatorytoprovidetherequestedinormation.WhenwegetridopatentsonseedsthewholeinormationgatheringandbureaucracywillnotbeneededanymoreaccordingtoMeienberg.OtherscanattesttoPINTOneedingmorework.AnotherdisadvantageisthatthePINTOdatabaseonlyincludesvarietiesthatareavailableincountriesthatbelongtotheEuropeanEconomicAreaEEAwhichiscomprisedoallotheEUandmembersotheEuropeanFreeTradeAssociationexceptorSwitzerland.FinallythePINTOdatabaseislimitedtoEuropeanpatentsandapplicationsonly.AsmostbreedingcompaniesareactiveallovertheworldPINTOmightberegardedasincompletesaysArendStrengpatentspecialistatRijkZwaaninTheNetherlands.HementionsthatespeciallyorbreedersPINTOisapracticaltooltoseewhetheracertainvarietyisprotectedbyapatentorapplication.Thedatabaseprovidesinormationonthecommercialembodimentoapatentandisbymyknowledgethefrstpubliclyavailabledatabasedoingso.Thisinormationhelpsbreederstoseewhichvarietiesarenotreelyavailableorurtherinnovation.StillStrengdoesindPINTOhighlyuseul.ThePINTOdatabaseisahelpultooltorelatepatentapplicationstoplantvarieties.PersonallyIusethedatabaseaboutonceeverymonth.Thedatabasehasaneicientstructureandinteracethatallowsyoutosearchorseveralaspectsoavarietyorapatentapplication.TheactthatitgivesadirectlinktoapatentinthedatabaseotheEuropeanPatentOfceEPOisuseul.Alsousersareabletoregisterthemselvesinordertocustomisetheirsearches.CsrgconirmsthatthegeographicalscopeoPINTOiscurrentlylimitedtoEuropeEEAmeaningthatonlyvarietiesregisteredormarketedintheEEAaretobeincludedinit.OncethecompletenessothedatabaseissigniicantlyimprovedontheEuropeanleveldiscussionswillalsocontinueonhowtoexpandthescopeoPINTOtootherpartsotheworld.THEGOALSHOULDBEAFULLTRANSPARENCYFOREACHANDEVERYVARIETYONTHEMARKETIFITISCOVEREDBYPATENTCLAIMSORNOT.Thedatabasehasanefficientstructureandinterfacethatallowsyoutosearchforseveralaspectsofavarietyorpatent.