7 USC 2543 - Right to save seed; crop exemption

Collapse to view only § 2543. Right to save seed; crop exemption

§ 2541. Infringement of plant variety protection
§ 2542. Grandfather clause
§ 2543. Right to save seed; crop exemption
§ 2544. Research exemption
§ 2545. Intermediary exemption

§ 2541. Infringement of plant variety protection

(a) Acts constituting infringementExcept as otherwise provided in this subchapter, it shall be an infringement of the rights of the owner of a protected variety to perform without authority, any of the following acts in the United States, or in commerce which can be regulated by Congress or affecting such commerce, prior to expiration of the right to plant variety protection but after either the issue of the certificate or the distribution of a protected plant variety with the notice under section 2567 of this title:

(1) sell or market the protected variety, or offer it or expose it for sale, deliver it, ship it, consign it, exchange it, or solicit an offer to buy it, or any other transfer of title or possession of it;

(2) import the variety into, or export it from, the United States;

(3) sexually or asexually multiply, or propagate by a tuber or a part of a tuber, the variety as a step in marketing (for growing purposes) the variety;

(4) use the variety in producing (as distinguished from developing) a hybrid or different variety therefrom;

(5) use seed which had been marked “Unauthorized Propagation Prohibited” or “Unauthorized Seed Multiplication Prohibited” or progeny thereof to propagate the variety;

(6) dispense the variety to another, in a form which can be propagated, without notice as to being a protected variety under which it was received;

(7) condition the variety for the purpose of propagation, except to the extent that the conditioning is related to the activities permitted under section 2543 of this title;

(8) stock the variety for any of the purposes referred to in paragraphs (1) through (7);

(9) perform any of the foregoing acts even in instances in which the variety is multiplied other than sexually, except in pursuance of a valid United States plant patent; or

(10) instigate or actively induce performance of any of the foregoing acts.

(b) Uses authorized by owner

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the owner of a protected variety may authorize the use of the variety under this section subject to conditions and limitations specified by the owner.

(2) In the case of a contract between a seed producer and the owner of a protected variety of lawn, turf, or forage grass seed, or alfalfa or clover seed for the production of seed of the protected variety, the producer shall be deemed to be authorized by the owner to sell such seed and to use the variety if—

(A) the producer has fulfilled the terms of the contract;

(B) the owner refuses to take delivery of the seed or refuses to pay any amounts due under the contract within 30 days of the payment date specified in the contract; and

(C) after the expiration of the period specified in subparagraph (B), the producer notifies the owner of the producer’s intent to sell the seed and unless the owner fails to pay the amounts due under the contract and take delivery of the seed within 30 days of such notification. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term “owner” shall include any licensee of the owner.

(3) Paragraph (2) shall apply to contracts entered into with respect to plant varieties protected under this chapter as in effect on the day before the effective date of this provision as well as plant varieties protected under this chapter as amended by the Plant Variety Protection Act Amendments of 1994.

(4) Nothing in this subsection shall affect any other rights or remedies of producers or owners that may exist under other Federal or State laws.

(1) any variety that is essentially derived from a protected variety, unless the protected variety is an essentially derived variety;

(2) any variety that is not clearly distinguishable from a protected variety;

(3) any variety whose production requires the repeated use of a protected variety; and

(4) harvested material (including entire plants and parts of plants) obtained through the unauthorized use of propagating material of a protected variety, unless the owner of the variety has had a reasonable opportunity to exercise the rights provided under this chapter with respect to the propagating material.

(d) Acts not considered infringing

(e) Private noncommercial uses

(f) “Perform without authority” defined

(Pub. L. 91–577, title III, § 111, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1554; Pub. L. 96–574, § 19(a), Dec. 22, 1980, 94 Stat. 3351; Pub. L. 102–560, § 3(a), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 4231; Pub. L. 103–349, §§ 9, 13(q), Oct. 6, 1994, 108 Stat. 3141, 3144; Pub. L. 115–334, title X, § 10108(c), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4906.)

§ 2542. Grandfather clause

Nothing in this chapter shall abridge the right of any person, or the successor in interest of the person, to reproduce or sell a variety developed and produced by such person more than one year prior to the effective filing date of an adverse application for a certificate of plant variety protection.

(Pub. L. 91–577, title III, § 112, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1555; Pub. L. 103–349, § 13(r), Oct. 6, 1994, 108 Stat. 3144.)

§ 2543. Right to save seed; crop exemption

Except to the extent that such action may constitute an infringement under subsections (3) and (4) of section 2541 1

1 See References in Text note below.

of this title, it shall not infringe any right hereunder for a person to save seed produced by the person from seed obtained, or descended from seed obtained, by authority of the owner of the variety for seeding purposes and use such saved seed in the production of a crop for use on the farm of the person, or for sale as provided in this section. A bona fide sale for other than reproductive purposes, made in channels usual for such other purposes, of seed produced on a farm either from seed obtained by authority of the owner for seeding purposes or from seed produced by descent on such farm from seed obtained by authority of the owner for seeding purposes shall not constitute an infringement. A purchaser who diverts seed from such channels to seeding purposes shall be deemed to have notice under section 2567 of this title that the actions of the purchaser constitute an infringement.

(Pub. L. 91–577, title III, § 113, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1555; Pub. L. 103–349, §§ 10, 13(s), Oct. 6, 1994, 108 Stat. 3142, 3144.)

§ 2544. Research exemption

The use and reproduction of a protected variety for plant breeding or other bona fide research shall not constitute an infringement of the protection provided under this chapter.

(Pub. L. 91–577, title III, § 114, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1555.)

§ 2545. Intermediary exemption

Transportation or delivery by a carrier in the ordinary course of its business as a carrier, or advertising by a person in the advertising business in the ordinary course of that business, shall not constitute an infringement of the protection provided under this chapter.

(Pub. L. 91–577, title III, § 115, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1555.)