, Forbes ; Intellectual Property In Horticulture: A Guide To Plant Patents And Trademarks
"The Role Of Patents In Horticulture
Patents play an important role in horticulture:
• Encouraging innovation: Creating new varieties of plants involves investing a lot in research. Plant patents encourage breeders to keep on creating different plant varieties.
• Market share protection: After breeders develop a particular variety of plant, they decide on its production and sale. No competitor has the right to propagate the variety for sale without special permission; hence, this privilege gives the breeder a competitive edge.
A way to gain income: Patents can enable breeders to license their varieties to other growers or nurseries. These licenses enable those breeders to make sales. Popular varieties' profits may come from the licensing agreement...
The Place Of Trademarks In The Horticulture Industry
Trademarks can give the following advantages to horticulture businesses:
• Brand differentiation: A good trademark will enable a firm to set itself apart from its competitors and build consumer loyalty. In horticulture, for instance, a nursery firm might have dozens of items similar to those of other nurseries; hence, recognition by trademark can make quite a difference in attracting and retaining customers.
• Legal protection: USPTO registration protects against infringement of any kind. If another company tries to sell using a similar brand name, logo or product name, a trademark holder can sue that company for creating confusion in the market."
