PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Owners may put a label on seed containers or on the variety itself to warn against unauthorized growing or seed multiplication, and after a certificate is issued may also mark it as a U.S. protected variety. If someone got unmarked material, the owner cannot recover damages unless that person actually knew it was prohibited; damages only cover acts after such notice, and courts may be lenient about materials bought in good faith before notice.

Title 7, §2567

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Owners may give notice to the public by physically associating with or affixing to the container of seed of a variety or by fixing to the variety, a label containing either the words “Unauthorized Propagation Prohibited” or the words “Unauthorized Seed Multiplication Prohibited” and after the certificate issues, such additional words as “U.S. Protected Variety”. In the event the variety is distributed by authorization of the owner and is received by the infringer without such marking, no damages shall be recovered against such infringer by the owner in any action for infringement, unless the infringer has actual notice or knowledge that propagation is prohibited or that the variety is a protected variety, in which event damages may be recovered only for infringement occurring after such notice. As to both damages and injunction, a court shall have discretion to be lenient as to disposal of materials acquired in good faith by acts prior to such notice.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–349 in first sentence struck out “novel” before “variety or” and before “variety, a”, and in second sentence struck out “novel” before “variety is distributed”. 1980—Pub. L. 96–574 substituted “either the words ‘Unauthorized Propagation Prohibited’ or the words ‘Unauthorized Seed Multiplication Prohibited’ ” for “the words ‘Propagation Prohibited’ ”.

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.

§2567 Limitation of Damages; Marking and Notice