An intellectual property exhibition in Beijing this week
displayed not only counterfeit goods but some new plant varieties,
fresh content for China's intellectual property rights (IPR)
protection.
In China, the protection of new plant varieties has been an
important part of the country's IPR protection strategy, just like
the protection of brands and patents.
The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) announced in Beijing
on Sunday that China has ascended to fourth position in the world
in applications for protecting new agricultural plant
varieties.
By the end of March this year, China has received a total of
3,207 applications for protecting new plant varieties, including
114 applications from foreign entities.
About 747 applications have been approved in China, the ministry
said.
China launched the regulations on protecting new plant varieties
as early as 1997.
On April 23, 1999, China acceded to the "International
Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants" and
became the 39th member of the International Union for the
Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).
According to government regulations, a new plant variety refers
to a cultivated plant variety, or a developed one based on a wild
plant, which is new, distinct, uniform and stable, and its name is
designated. Without permission from the owner, no one is allowed to
grow or sell these new varieties.
Liu Ping, vice dean of the science and technology center under
the MOA, told Xinhua that in the past seven years, China has
included 62 kinds of plants and 78 kinds of forestry plants in the
national list of protected plant varieties, setting a fair platform
to protect plant breeders' rights.
In 1999, the government received only 115 applications on
protecting new plant varieties for the whole year, while the annual
total jumped to 950 in 2005, Liu said.
The MOA has organized more than 30 training programs in the past
seven years to increase the public's knowledge on plant breeders'
rights.
A latest investigation on 500 new plant varieties shows that the
government invested 40 percent for the research and development of
new plant varieties, with the rest coming from non-government
sectors.
According to Liu, the protection of new plant varieties has
benefited farmers greatly.
The 500 new plant varieties under investigation have been
promoted to about 640 million mu (42.67 million hectares) in China,
increasing an additional grain output of 56.32 billion kilograms,
with an additional value of 22.37 billion yuan, said Liu.
In 2005, China planted 150 million mu (10 million hectares) of
new plant varieties of rice, wheat and corn, producing an
additional grain output of 8 billion kilograms, Liu said.
To better protect plant breeders' rights, China's agricultural
authority has issued laws and regulations to fight against illegal
cases violating plant breeders' rights.
Currently, more than 800 violation cases have been investigated
by the judicial departments, with 460 cases having been taken to
courts.
(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2006)