UPOV Publishes List Of FAQs As Part Of Communications Strategy

The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), an enigma organisation to some, has published a list of answers to frequently asked questions on its website.

According to a UPOV official, the FAQs are a new initiative as part of UPOV’s communication strategy and “are being posted on the UPOV website for the first time.”

UPOV’s action followed the decision of the 31^st extraordinary session of its Council on 11 April. UPOV, housed within the building of the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, is independent of WIPO.

The FAQs provide general information on UPOV’s activities (“What does UPOV do?”) and the rationale behind the organisation’s work (“Why do farmers and growers need new plant varieties?” and “Why is plant variety protection necessary”), as well as practical information for breeders (“Where do I apply for protection of a variety?” and “What is the relationship between patents and plant breeders’ rights?”).

Some questions also attempt to provide answers to issues that are regularly raised in connection with UPOV’s system of plant protection, such as: “Why does UPOV require varieties to be uniform and stable; doesn’t that lead to a loss of diversity?”, “Is it true that UPOV only promotes commercially bred plant varieties geared to industrialized farmers?” and “Can a farmer replant seed of a protected variety without the authorization of the breeder?”