On June 4, the Euroseeds Board of Directors unanimously adopted the association’s new “View on Intellectual Property”.
This new position paper is intended to comprehensively contribute to the upcoming review of the EU Plant Variety Rights legislation and the preparation of the Commission study on patentability of biotechnological inventions with specific focus on patents for NGT plants, according to a press release.
During the development of this paper, Euroseeds considered the diverse perspectives of Euroseeds members on creating a balanced and innovation-friendly IP system for plant breeding. While a majority of members agree on many principles and specific demands, there are significant differences in opinion. These differences particularly concern the adequacy or preference for a single system of plant variety rights versus a combination with biotech patents, as well as the support for or opposition to limiting patentability or the effects of patents.
The new Euroseeds perspective on IP offers transparency regarding the diverse viewpoints stemming from the wide variety of companies, each with different sizes, focuses, and business models.
The paper concludes with a unified set of concrete objectives and demands concerning IP protection and management for the European plant breeding sector.
