What is a plant patent?
A plant patent is an intellectual property right granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that legally protects new varieties of plants. Plant patents protect the rights of the inventor or the discoverer of a new variety of asexually reproduced plant, such as a hybrid of two different species. Plant patents are available in Kansas and grant the holder exclusive rights to reproduce, sell, and use the patented plant. Plant patents provide protection for the plant variety for twenty years, but this protection does not extend to any derivative forms of the plant, such as cuttings or grafts. Additionally, the protection does not extend to any form of seed harvested from a patented plant. To be eligible for a plant patent, the plant must be new, distinct, stable, and asexually reproduced. The discoverer of the plant must also be able to demonstrate that they were the first to discover the plant, and that the plant can be reproduced consistently. Plant patents are important in Kansas, as they give inventors or discoverers the legal right to reproduce and use the patented plants. This is a useful tool for those looking to create new varieties of plants or to protect hybrids they may have discovered. It is important to remember that plant patents are only available to asexually reproduced plants, not sexually reproduced plants, and that the protection they offer is limited.
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