Present:
Ruihong Guo, PhD, Deputy Administrator, USDA, Ag Marketing Service Science & Technology Program
Li Mingqi, Deputy Director-general, Office of Protection of New Varieties of Plants; The Science & Technology Development Center, State Forestry Administration of China (SFA)
Wang Qi, Division Chief, Office of Protection of New Varieties of Plants; Science & Technology Development Center, State Forestry Administration of China (SFA)
Deng Hua, Assistant Professor, Office of Protection of New Varieties of Plants; Science & Technology Development Center, State Forestry Administration of China (SFA); The Institute of Forestry Policy and Information, Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF)
The above group of individuals set out on a US Tour this summer, where they made stops to discuss plant breeding and IP protection with CIOPORA members Bailey Nurseries (Minnesota), Fall Creek Farms (Oregon) and Driscolls (California; present at Fall Creek meeting).
Based on meeting summaries from Fall Creek and Baileys, the primary purpose of their visit was to learn more about US processes of breeding and thereafter protection.
According to the delegation, the Chinese government is attempting to rein in patent infringement. Specific patent courts are being separated from the regular court system to allow more expertise on the subject. International businesses have two paths of recourse if they believe infringement is occurring. 1) Work with the Chinese patent offices. 2) Go directly to the patent court system. Apparently, fines for infringement will also be greater and stricter in the future.
As with many fact-finding missions, the conversations will likely continue well into the future. A group of US breeders is considering a reverse visit to Beijing this September.
If you are interested in more details, please contact CIOPORA for a link to the direct contacts at Fall Creek and Bailey Nurseries.
