Re: Hybridizers rights
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Hybridizers rights
- From: C*@aol.com
- Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 10:48:01 -0700 (MST)
I could go into a long discussion about plant breeders rights (I've had
dealings with PBRs WRT Osteospermum) but will not on this occasion.
The reasons that no-one applies rights to irises are (I suspect) as follows:
1. Something slightly better will come out next year, rendering your plant
obsolete.
2. I takes too long to produce the thousands of plants that are needed to
make it worthwhile, unlike anything which can easily be done from tissue
culture or (even better 'cos it is cheaper) from cuttings - e.g. lilium or
osteospermum.
3. Most breeders are backyard growers and do not know about PBRs.
4. The market for irises may not be big enough (certainly is not over here).
Gentleman's agreements do exist for irises, but that depends on the
individual company that is doing the marketing. Always make sure that
everything is written down, even if you make a deal with someone you know
well. The going rate for royalty payments over here varies between about 10p
and 25p per unit sold (big growers talk about units, not plants).
Graham Spencer
Croftway Nursery, UK
USDA zone 8
croftway@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/croftway/
