Plant Variety Protection Act Amendments of 1994

Plant Variety Protection Act Amendments of 1994 - Amends the Plant Variety Protection Act to revise definitions and establish rules of construction concerning: (1) the sale and disposition of harvesting material, varieties, and hybrid seeds; (2) the filing of applications for the protection or entering of a variety in an official register; and (3) the basis of determining the distinctness of a variety or whether a variety is publicly known. (Sec. 3) Entitles breeders of sexually reproduced or tuber propagated plant varieties other than fungi or bacteria (currently, other than fungi, bacteria, or first generation hybrids) who have reproduced a variety to plant variety protection if the variety is new, distinct, uniform, and stable. Provides that if two or more applicants for plant variety protection submit applications on the same filing date for indistinguishable varieties that fulfill the conditions for protection established by this Act, the applicant who first complies with this Act's requirements shall be entitled to protection to the exclusion of any other applicant. Issues a single protection certificate jointly to two or more applicants who comply with requirements on the same date for varieties that are indistinguishable. (Sec. 5) Grants an applicant two years (with appropriate additional time if rejected) to file necessary information under a foreign filing right of p…

Congressional Research Service · 1994-08-12