Re: GWL quotes and rants

**"* C* <d*@sympatico.ca>**

Hi Nancy,
The difference is your own ethical standards.
If you come into my place of work and take a cutting, harvest some seeds, 
etc., without my knowledge and with the express purpose of growing a plant- 
to circumvent purchasing one from my employer- then I view that as theft. It 
does not matter how "big" the "guys" are or how many people do this, theft 
is still wrong. You have denied me the opportunity to make money.
Black & white.

(I say your own ethical standards because there is no way that I can police 
customers' actions short of having enough staff to follow each and every 
one, including the nefarious and notorious Nancy)

If you acquire a plant from my employer's garden centre or other outlet, or 
have received a sample from a grower ( solicited or unsolicited), grown it 
in your home garden and passed on bits and pieces to your friends for their 
own gardens, you are back in the realm of time honoured gardening tradition.
However, for protected plants, it is still illegal. You are denying the 
producer the opportunity to make money.
Still black & white.

The greyer shades of reality would suggest that the common gardener will buy 
a plant, grow it, like it and share it with their friends.  They will 
probably never read all of the funny numbers and names on the tag except 
height, sun/shade, bloom time ,etc. If they do read "propagation prohibited" 
it is unlikely that they will understand what the warning means. For 
example, they may grow a hosta, divide it an appropriate time,  give some to 
a friend or donate it a hort club for the annual plant sale.

Is ignorance of the law a defensible gambit? (rhetorical)

For the grower it comes down to costs- production cost, cost to prosecute, 
cost in negative PR, etc. As wonderful as gardening is and as enthusiastic 
as we might be about it, it is still business. Business is always focussed 
on the bottom line- it has no other purpose.

Ethics, however.......

Dan

> Propagating patented plants for resale is illegal under any
> circumsatances. But sharing cuttings and seeds is a
> time honored ritual among gardeners. I have toured gardens and green
> houses with many of
> the  "big guys"  and trust me - a clip here, a clip there - seeds
> happen to fall in
> the palm or the camera bag. It happens.
> What's the difference if you give the sample to a friend or give a
> cutting?
> Nancy Szerlag
>
>
> 
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