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Update on patents in EU seed laws/Invitation to webinar *tomorrow*
by ARCHE NOAH Dagmar Urban 22 May '24

22 May '24

Dear all, I hope I'll see most of you during the call in a few minutes, but wanted to share a quick update on our work of trying to get something about patents in the EU seed legislation to the whole list, including the concrete text so you can read it. Apologies for this coming so late! The first two points are the update and the last is an invitation to a webinar tomorrow (May 23) at 12pm on the EU seed marketing rules: 1) For the vote in the EU plenary end of April, unfortunately and decided on the last minute, no amendments on the definition of "essentially biological" or the scope of patents was tabled. At the same time, there was a lot of discussion about it, and we got a lot of feedback that the issue is very important. But beyond some strategic considerations (of "saving" the whole report), one major concern prevented our draft amendments to make it: MEPs and parties find it a very complex issue, and then get different advice on what should be done - especially on random mutagenesis/the definition of essentially biological. This leads to them not doing anything. We had a few discussions in our team, and overall feel that the biggest learning from this for us, is that we now think it is unlikely that we will get anything on EU level that creates opposition from the so-called "French" groups - but this is not only ECVC, and not only from France, it's felt as a very strong division on EU level. And when we as a movement are seen as that divided over something that very few people actually understand, it makes the demands fail, regardless of who is right. Thus, I think it would be great to think a bit about our mid-term strategy again in the coming weeks and months. 2) Other than regarding the mentioned points on patents, the EP vote was a very clear step towards more diversity, especially compared to the original proposal of the EU Commission. But also on patents, beyond our core demands, we got several "small wins". It is now up to the agricultural ministers to find their position on the EU seed legislation. For those of you working on patents on national level, it would be worth considering to ask your agricultural ministers to support these points. In the application for a new variety, the EP asked that the following information is included (Article 56, para 1, point o): "(oa) the breeding techniques used for the development of the variety; (ob) the existence of any intellectual property rights covering the variety, its components, and characteristics, within the limits of the rights applied for or granted for that variety to the applicant, including where the applicant has signed a contractual licence or has obtained a compulsory licence for the use of a patent owned by another operator." This information then has the be included in the European as well as the national variety registers (Annex VII, paragraph 1, point t): (ta) where applicable, the respective intellectual property rights covering the variety, its components, characteristics and development process, including, where applicable and appropriate, the number of any relevant granted or pending patent(s) which the competent authority needs to provide and update; Article 17, paragraph 2, on the label of seeds, also has language on intellectual property rights: The official label and the operator's label shall be legible, indelible, not modifiable if tampered with, printed on one side, made of untearable material unless it is an adhesive label, not having been used previously, and easily visible. It shall include, where applicable, a reference to the plant variety right and a reference to the register referred to in Article 46 in the case of further intellectual property rights. And in the article on definition conversation varieties (Article 3, para 1, point 29), it says that they should be (ba) not subject, as a whole or in genetic components, to intellectual property rights that limit its use for conservation, research, breeding, education, including on farm by a farmer who uses the PRM grown on the farm, of that variety for those objectives; As you might have seen, there are no written consequences foreseen, if the patents are not disclosed, so we have to assess the possible impacts. But for sure it at least pushes the question of transparency more to the front, and is not voluntary. Of course this does not solve the problem of these patents existing in the first place! The whole text of the EP vote is available here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2024-0341_EN.html 3) We want to warmly invite you to a lunchtime webinar in which Fulya Batur will present the main results of the EP vote. The webinar of 1,5h will go through the main changes proposed to the Commission proposal on seed marketing by the European Parliament's position (first reading) adopted on 24th April 2024, focusing on aspects relevant to organisations and individuals active on agrobiodiversity conservation. It will give you the chance to ask questions and find out how to best use the EP position for advocacy work on the council. The webinar is organised by Arche Noah, with the kind support of the Software AG Stiftung. When: May 23, 2024 12:00 - 13:30 PM Brussels Topic: ARCHE NOAH SAGST Webinar EU Seeds Marketing EP Plenary Results Please register here for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wg4i3537QdSEc0UsDg8CfA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Best, Dagmar

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Today's press release published
by Johanna Eckhardt 22 May '24

22 May '24

Dear all, today's press release is published. English: https://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/lettuce-appeal German: https://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/de/salat-beschwerde I posted on Facebook and X - please share! <http://www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds> www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds <http://www.x.com/NoPatentsOnSeed> www.x.com/NoPatentsOnSeed Pictures attached, feel free to use. Kind regards, Johanna Mag. Johanna ECKHARDT Project Coordination Tel. +43 680 21 26 343 <mailto:johanna.eckhardt@no-patents-on-seeds.org> johanna.eckhardt(a)no-patents-on-seeds.org NO PATENTS ON SEEDS! <http://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/> www.no-patents-on-seeds.org <http://www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds> www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds <http://www.x.com/NoPatentsOnSeed> www.x.com/NoPatentsOnSeed

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Tomorrow's press release
by Johanna Eckhardt 21 May '24

21 May '24

Dear all, please find attached the press release as I will send it out tomorrow morning. You can send me important corrections until tomorrow 7.30h CET. Kind regards, Johanna Mag. Johanna ECKHARDT Project Coordination Tel. +43 680 21 26 343 <mailto:johanna.eckhardt@no-patents-on-seeds.org> johanna.eckhardt(a)no-patents-on-seeds.org NO PATENTS ON SEEDS! <http://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/> www.no-patents-on-seeds.org <http://www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds> www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds <http://www.x.com/NoPatentsOnSeed> www.x.com/NoPatentsOnSeed

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final version of the appeal and media release
by Christoph Then 19 May '24

19 May '24

dear all please see the final version of the appeal (lettuce) and a draft media release. cheers Christoph

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appeal lettuce / Beschwerde Salat
by Christoph Then 17 May '24

17 May '24

sorry, only in German anbei die 'finale' Fassung - Dank an Johanna für Korrekturen! ich bringe sie erst morgen zum EPA - gerne heute noch Kommentare.

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Q&A from EPO on plant patents
by Christoph Then 17 May '24

17 May '24

just was mentioned in discussion about NGT patents https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/press-centre/fact-sheet/447625

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Frage an Abgeordnete zu Patenten von AbL
by Johanna Eckhardt 16 May '24

16 May '24

[Template - question on patents to MEPs for European elections only in German] Liebe Runde, auf der Homepage der AbL finden sich 8 Fragen zu Gentechnik, Patenten und Nachbau an Abgeordnete im Rahmen der Europawahl: https://www.abl-ev.de/apendix/news/details/mach-mit-8-fragen-an-die-kandidat innen-zur-europawahl Vielen Dank an Annemarie und Georg! Die Frage zu Patenten: Patente Gentechnik-Pflanzen sind patentierbar. Kommt der Gesetzesvorschlag zu neuen Gentechniken durch, würde es in der EU zu einer Flut von patentiertem Saatgut kommen. Die Patente beanspruchen in der Regel alle Pflanzen mit dem spezifizierten Merkmal, und die Patentinhaber:innen versuchen ihre Ansprüche auch auf konventionell gezüchtete Pflanzen auszuweiten, obwohl diese nach Europäischem Patentübereinkommen nicht patentierbar sind. Für Züchter:innen und Bäuer:innen wird so die Möglichkeit der freien Nutzung genetischer Ressourcen massiv eingeschränkt oder unmöglich gemacht, denn die Risiken von Patentrechtsverletzungen sind unabsehbar hoch. So verhindern Patente die Entwicklung klimafitter Nutzpflanzen, die Sortenvielfalt wird massiv eingeschränkt, zu Lasten der Züchter:innen, Bäuer:innen, Verarbeiter:innen und Verbraucher:innen. 7) Sollte der Gesetzgebungsprozess für NGT ausgesetzt werden, um zunächst die Patentierung von konventionell gezüchteten und NGT-Pflanzen rechtssicher zu verbieten? Liebe Grüße, Johanna Mag. Johanna ECKHARDT Project Coordination Tel. +43 680 21 26 343 <mailto:johanna.eckhardt@no-patents-on-seeds.org> johanna.eckhardt(a)no-patents-on-seeds.org NO PATENTS ON SEEDS! <http://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/> www.no-patents-on-seeds.org <http://www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds> www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds <http://www.twitter.com/nopatentsonseed> www.twitter.com/nopatentsonseed

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Conference call
by Johanna Eckhardt 13 May '24

13 May '24

Dear all, here is the info for our next conference calls. Please find the agenda and updated calendar below. German call: Tuesday, 21 May, 10h-11.30h CET <https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88226232219?pwd=RjVFOEFiYmRrUUR5UDVMSFhLSSthQT09> https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88226232219?pwd=RjVFOEFiYmRrUUR5UDVMSFhLSSthQT09 Meeting ID: 882 2623 2219 Passcode: 967239 English call: 22 May, 11h-12.30h CET. <https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87175193475?pwd=Vjh1SWtOMzJEd0NvM2xrdnYrYkswZz09> https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87175193475?pwd=Vjh1SWtOMzJEd0NvM2xrdnYrYkswZz09 Meeting ID: 871 7519 3475 Passcode: 060420 Kind regards, Johanna AGENDA: 1. Updates * Welcome to new intern Linda Koó 1.1. from countries / member organisations 1.2. NPOS * IFOAM, European Organic congress Budapest - participation in panel: "Patents and NGT deregulation: What's at stake for the European breeding sector? <https://www.europeanorganiccongress.bio/> https://www.europeanorganiccongress.bio/ - in the frame of HU presidency 2. Patent cases * Update patent research & report * Pinto research * Legal analysis of patents granted that were filed after 1 July 2017 2.1. Salad patent Rijk Zwaan * <https://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/patent-cases/lettuce-hot-climate> https://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/patent-cases/lettuce-hot-climate * complaint filed 2.2. new KWS patent * EP 3447 134, INCREASED FUNGAL RESISTANCE IN CROP PLANTS * We will file an opposition. * <https://register.epo.org/application?number=EP17187309> https://register.epo.org/application?number=EP17187309 3. Other 3.1. Next conference call CALENDAR 09.06.2024 European elections EU 27./28.6.2024 Administrative Council EPO Munich/hybrid 11.07.2024 Deadline opposition KWS patent EP3447134 "INCREASED FUNGAL RESISTANCE IN CROP PLANTS" EPO <https://register.epo.org/application?number=EP17187309> https://register.epo.org/application?number=EP17187309 July-December HU Presidency, event in HU? EU/HU ? before EU trilogue on PRM (autumn?) ask people to send emails to MEPs? (change campaign activity) EU August-September mid-August - beginning of Sept. film video with Grietje NL clover in the maize fields blooms at the beginning of September 10.-12.9.2024 IFOAM, European Organic congress Budapest participation panel Johanna: "Patents and NGT deregulation: What's at stake for the European breeding sector? on 11 September 2024, between 11:45 - 12:30. HU <https://www.europeanorganiccongress.bio/> https://www.europeanorganiccongress.bio/ autumn 2024 AT elections national council (Nationalrat) AT October 2024 Let's liberate diversity forum in Nice, France 10.10.2024 Administrative Council EPO Munich/hybrid 15.10.2024 Hearing KWS cold resistant maize EPO <https://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/maize-cold-resistance> online https://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/maize-cold-resistance 29.10.2024 Hearing Monsanto Soybean EPO in Munich, Haar https://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/patent-cases/soybean Sept. present NPOS report Nov./Dec. Workshop for new EU Parliament? & infos to new COM? 14.11.2024 EPO Committee on Patent Law EPO Munich/hybrid 10./11.12.2024 Administrative Council EPO Munich/hybrid 25.03.2025 Hearing Carlsberg Patent EP2575433 complaint Mag. Johanna ECKHARDT Project Coordination Tel. +43 680 21 26 343 <mailto:johanna.eckhardt@no-patents-on-seeds.org> johanna.eckhardt(a)no-patents-on-seeds.org NO PATENTS ON SEEDS! <http://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/> www.no-patents-on-seeds.org <http://www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds> www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds <http://www.twitter.com/nopatentsonseed> www.twitter.com/nopatentsonseed

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appeal lettuce - Beschwerde Salat
by Christoph Then 13 May '24

13 May '24

Dears please see attached the decision from the opposition division of the EPO (English) and a draft text for appeal (sorry only in German) We have to transfer the fee and the appeals till 20 Mai. After that we still can file further arguments that are within the legal reasonings of the appeal as filed. the strategy behind following this case together with the bushy melon (appeal), Carlsberg (appeal) and KWS cases (opposition) is to explore and develop our legal arguments in parallel to our political activities. In result, we have two strategies to succeed. thanks for your comments Christoph PS please note 25 March 2025 for hearing on the Carlsberg appeal PPS other upcoming events: I will draft a text for another opposition against a patent of KWS (EP 3 447 134) - see last mails. I also continue to work on the report. Johanna will check Pinto and we consider to send out a media release on strong increase in number of varieties.

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Welcome Linda
by Johanna Eckhardt 07 May '24

07 May '24

Dear all, we have a new intern for NPOS and the ARCHE NOAH policy team: Linda Koó (CC)! Welcome! She will support us until mid-July and for 2 weeks in September. Kind regards, Johanna Mag. Johanna ECKHARDT Project Coordination Tel. +43 680 21 26 343 <mailto:johanna.eckhardt@no-patents-on-seeds.org> johanna.eckhardt(a)no-patents-on-seeds.org NO PATENTS ON SEEDS! <http://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/> www.no-patents-on-seeds.org <http://www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds> www.facebook.com/nopatentsonseeds <http://www.twitter.com/nopatentsonseed> www.twitter.com/nopatentsonseed

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