Plant IP protection program to host first US workshop

The CIOPORA Academy, a specialized training and certificate program for Intellectual Property (IP) protection in the field of horticulture, will host its first U.S.-based workshop Sept. 8-9 in Watsonville, California, at Driscoll’s Cassin Conference Center. The CIOPORA Academy is the educational arm of CIOPORA, the International Association of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Varieties. The workshop will bring participants through six, 90-minute interactive modules. Topics and speakers include:

• Updates on Plant Patents in the U.S. and Utility Patents
• Basic Principles of Trademark Protection
• Basic Principles of Plant Breeders’ Right (PBR)
• Basics of Licensing of PBR and Plant Patents
• New Developments in PBR
• Suitability and Use of Variety Denomination and its Relation to Trademarks

The modules will be led by experts Robert Jondle, patent attorney with Jondle & Associates, U.S.; Tjeerd Overdijk, IP attorney with Vondst, The Netherlands; and Edgar Krieger, secretary general of CIOPORA, Germany. The CIOPORA Academy is an ongoing, specialized training and certification program that was developed for continued education on the rules and regulations surrounding IP for ornamental and fruit plants. Workshops are held at locations throughout the world, with workshop participants divided into classrooms of 12-15 individuals. Individuals who successfully complete the California Workshop on Worldwide IP for Plants will receive a certificate verifying completion from CIOPORA. Seats are limited for the workshops. To view the agenda and register, visit the workshop event page. To learn more about upcoming or past CIOPORA Academy workshops, visit the CIOPORA Academy website.