Today, all growers need more transparency in the market to understand which seeds are covered by intellectual property protection that may impact their ability to save, sell, research, and breed with certain seeds.  

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issues two types of patents that can be applied to agricultural innovations:

The U.S.

Many plant breeders rely on intellectual property protection as a cornerstone of their business. The USPTO administers the U.S. Patent Act and issues patents for new inventions in all areas, including agriculture-related technologies. The USDA administers certificates under the Plant Variety Protection Act that grant breeders exclusive rights to new plant varieties. Both systems have the shared goal of incentivizing innovation and increasing public knowledge about new technologies in agriculture.