ABOUT CIOPORA

 Plant breeding is an elaborate and cost-consuming process. It may take plant breeder more than a decade to develop a new plant variety with an enhanced set of characteristics. The progress in the continuous breeding in horticulture, as well as the great diversity of horticultural products on the market, can only be guaranteed by means of effective Intellectual Property Protection for the innovation-based plant breeding businesses. For more than 55 years, CIOPORA has been actively contributing to the development of effective systems of Plant Variety Protection (PVP) worldwide.

The main priority of CIOPORA is the constant development and enhancement of systems of Intellectual Property Protection for asexually reproduced horticultural plant varieties. CIOPORA is the international association of breeders of include Plant Breeders' Rights, Patents, Plant Patents and Trademarks.

CIOPORA brings together plant breeders, national breeder associations, patent attorneys and Intellectual Property consultants from all over the globe, whose joint efforts are aimed at the development, improvement and harmonization of national and international regulations of Plant Variety Protection (PVP).

CIOPORA is globally accepted as an independent, impartial non-profit and non-governmental organization seeking to establish effective IP protection systems for horticulture. CIOPORA enjoys the observer status at the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). 

Activities & Services

In respect of its tasks and objectives, CIOPORA undertakes the following activities:

CIOPORA ADVISES on:

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•     content of Intellectual Property laws for effective protection of asexually reproduced horticultural plants

•     effective enforcement tools of Intellectual Property (IP) laws

•     interaction between Plant Breeders' Rights (PBR) and Patents

•     DUS-examination

•     Cost of Plant Variety Protection

CIOPORA works with GOVERNMENTAL authorities and INTERGOVERNMENTAL bodies:

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• CIOPORA serves as an observer at the Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and participates in all of its bodies and committees open to observers

• CIOPORA has a strong voice in relation with national governments and fosters a sustainable global network of decision-makers in the business

CIOPORA EDUCATES its members on matters of Intellectual Property Protection by way of:

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• Annual General Meetings

• Seminars and Conferences on Intellectual Property Rights and their protection

• Circular emails "IPisodes"

• Quarterly CIOPORA Newsletters "IP CHAPTERS"

• Annual magazine "CIOPORA Chronicle"

• regular updates via CIOPORA profile on LinkedIn & Facebook

• publications on the CIOPORA website or in the sector oriented media

Objectives

The main objectives of CIOPORA are as follows:

• to defend and represent the legitimate interests of its members.

• to work for the continuous development, improvement and unification of national and international regulations for the protection of breeders' rights, whether by Patents, Plant Patents or Plant Breeders' Rights certificates, within the framework of the UPOV-Convention and the laws and treaties concerning the protection of Intellectual Property in general.

• to intervene with governments and international organizations, associations or other authorities which may have substantial concern with or influence on the scope and contents of the Intellectual Property Rights of breeders on their plant creations.

• to raise both public and members' awareness towards the problems of Intellectual Property Protection of breeders and to improve the knowledge of the latter in relation to the IP matters.

CIOPORA Structure

CIOPORA is an association operating under the Swiss law and has its registered seat in Geneva.

The supreme authority of CIOPORA is the Annual General Meeting of its members. The control over the affairs of the association is entrusted to its Board headed by the President of CIOPORA.

CIOPORA members form a number of crop-oriented and topic specific subentities (Working Groups, Crop Sections) and regional groups (CIOPORA Germany). 

The CIOPORA administrative office is headed by the Secretary General.