PVR User Group

Plant Variety Rights is an important part of commercializing new varieties and a necessary means to ensuring variety development costs are justified, breeders rewarded and the resultant product remains viable.

The PVR User group is the forum for discussion and lobbying on behalf of the ornamental sector. This sector, defined as all plants not covered by fruit, arable cropping and pastoral farming, is the largest user of the PVR system in New Zealand.

Membership is open to all who have an interest in PVR and intellectual property, whether they are members of NGINZ or not. Membership carries a subscription fee of $50 per annum.

The objectives of the Group are to provide users of the system an opportunity to raise and discuss any issues associated with variety protection and indeed the wider aspects of intellectual property matters.  Topics may include but not be limited to

• Identifying issues users may have with NZ’s PVR system, which may include the likes of:
  • Discussion on NZ moving towards UPOV’s 2002 convention.
  • Managing commercial scale propagation of protected varieties under a ‘no sale’ scenario.
• Opportunity for coordination of commercial IP activities which may include:
  • Royalty collection
  • Industry standard contract/license
  • International opportunities
  • Quality standards
• Promotion and awareness of IP in the nursery industry
• A coordinated approach to monitor/manage variety ‘pirates’:
  • Which may include development of a system to inform fellow rights holders of infringements
  • Sharing information on recidivist ‘pirates’
• Examining potential for developing a forum for discussion on wider intellectual property matters. Such as discussing Agricultures plant breeding and research association which has some similarity to this groups objectives - see www.nzpbra.org

In addition to the PVR User Group, industry views are also discussed at the PVR Office hosted Technical Focus Group which meets annually.   Stephen Burton of Annton Nursery Ltd and John Liddle of NGINZ attend this along with representatives of all industries who may avail themselves of the PVR process.

More information from Frances Palmer (frances@nginz.co.nz).