§2532 — Title 7 Agriculture | U.S. Code

Summary

When an owner gives out seed or other sexually reproducing or tuber‑propagating plant material for testing only and marks it that way, the owner still owns it. If anyone who knows, or should know, the material is for testing keeps it or uses it for other purposes, they violate the owner’s property rights. Anyone who gets material with that label is treated as having notice. The owner can sue in civil court and may also use state or local remedies. The testing‑only label does not apply if the owner has made the same material available to the public, for example by selling it.

Title 7, §2532

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

An owner who, with notice that release is for testing only, releases possession of seed or other sexually reproducible or tuber propagable plant material for testing retains ownership with respect thereto; and any diversion from authorized testing, or any unauthorized retention, of such material by anyone who has knowledge that it is under such notice, or who is chargeable with notice, is prohibited, and violates the property rights of the owner. Anyone receiving the material tagged or labeled with the notice is chargeable with the notice. The owner is entitled to remedy and redress in a civil action hereunder. No remedy available by State or local law is hereby excluded. No such notice shall be used, or if used be effective, when the owner has made identical sexually reproducible or tuber propagable plant material available to the public, as by sale thereof.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–349 inserted “or tuber propagable” after “sexually reproducible” in two places.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1994 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–349 effective 180 days after Oct. 6, 1994, see section 15 of Pub. L. 103–349, set out as a note under section 2401 of this title.

§2532 Ownership During Testing