Changes

==Legal points==

==Legal points==

The practice of patenting, (or legally protecting) living plants is considered unethical by some people. To most is considered an essential tool to encourage the developement of new useful cultivars. "Cultivars" are the result o

The practice of patenting, (or legally protecting) living plants is considered unethical by some people. To most is considered an essential tool to encourage the developement of new useful cultivars. "Cultivars" are the result of deliberate [[Plant breeding|breeding program]]and selection activity by nurserymen or plant breeders and are often the result of years of dedicated work involving painstaking trialling and selection. "Plant patents" and "plant breeder' rights" (which is itself expensive to obtain) allows the inventor to obtain some financial reward for their work, normally for a limited period and geographical area.  

f deliberate [[Plant breeding|breeding program]]and selection activity by nurserymen or plant breeders and are often the result of years of dedicated work involving painstaking trialling and selection. "Plant patents" and "plant breeder' rights" (which is itself expensive to obtain) allows the inventor to obtain some financial reward for their work, normally for a limited period and geographical area.  

With plants produced by [[genetic engineering]] becoming more and more widely used, it is important to note that the companies producing these plants (or plants produced by traditional means) often claim a [[patent]] on their [[product (business)|product]]. Thus the notion that "letting seed [[Germination|germinate]] and grow into a crop is the most natural thing in the world" is no longer appropriate; it can be illegal to harvest seeds (even in one's own fields) from a patented "variety" (which may or may not also be a cultivar) except for personal use. Such plants are often labelled "PBR", which stands for "[[plant breeders' rights]]", or "PVR", which stands for "plant variety rights").

With plants produced by [[genetic engineering]] becoming more and more widely used, it is important to note that the companies producing these plants (or plants produced by traditional means) often claim a [[patent]] on their [[product (business)|product]]. Thus the notion that "letting seed [[Germination|germinate]] and grow into a crop is the most natural thing in the world" is no longer appropriate; it can be illegal to harvest seeds (even in one's own fields) from a patented "variety" (which may or may not also be a cultivar) except for personal use. Such plants are often labelled "PBR", which stands for "[[plant breeders' rights]]", or "PVR", which stands for "plant variety rights").