Parl. ratifies amendments to Protection of Intellectual Property Rights for UPOV membership

CAIRO – 13 July 2019: The Egyptian Parliament has ratified several amendments to Law No. 82 of 2002 on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights.

The amendments came upon a request by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) to make the law more compatible for the 1991 UPOV Convention (UPOV 91).

By doing this, Egypt will be qualified to become a UPOV active member.

The amendments allow the Egyptian Plant Varieties Protection Office to have an authority to conduct inspections and research new species.

Limiting the right to use the naming of registered species freely, whether during the exercise or termination of the right of the breeder.

Temporary measures shall be taken to protect the interests of the breeder during the period between the filing date of the application and the grant of protection. Such measures shall apply only to persons notified by such deposit.

Derivative species may be obtained mainly by the selection of a natural or induced mutation, transgenic plant tissue changes, selection of a heterogeneous plant of the original variety, reverse transduction, or conversion by genetic engineering.

The office also publishes a monthly newsletter that includes on the applications for the certificates and proposed and approved names of the species.

The UPOV is an intergovernmental organization with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The objective of the Convention is the protection of new varieties of plants by an intellectual property right. By codifying intellectual property for plant breeders, UPOV aims to encourage the development of new varieties of plants for the benefit of society.