The General Assembly Meeting of the Japan Seed Trade Association

Zen International Patents and Trademark

Just one month ago, we attended the General Assembly Meeting of the Japan Seed Trade Association (JSTA) in Kochi prefecture.

More than 200 representatives and senior executives of seeds & seedlings companies nationwide, including major companies such as Sakata Seed Corporation, attended.
Putting effort into IP protection related to plants, we have became the supporting member of JSTA since this fiscal year and attended the General Assembly for the first time.

We were surprised to know each of seeds & seedlings companies have a long history.  Some companies were established more than 150 years ago.
It seems difficult to entry into the seeds & seedlings industry.  It might have something to do with the fact that it is difficult to create new plant varieties if a company does not own various kinds of seeds that have unique characteristics.

In Japan, how to exercise breeders' rights pertaining to the registered plant variety to self-propagation conducted by farmers has become a hot issue.

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