Plant variety rights (PVR) are presently available for varieties of any kind of plant other than algae and bacteria. The word "variety" is used not in the sense of a "botanical variety", but rather as being synonymous with "cultivar" or "cultivated variety".

In the case of vegetatively propagated fruit, ornamental and vegetable varieties, Plant Variety Rights give the breeder of the plant the exclusive commercial right to propagate the variety for the production of fruit, flowers or other products of the variety.

By providing a tool to control commercialisation of a variety, Plant Variety Rights encourage investment and effort into plant breeding in New Zealand.

A grant of plant variety rights may be made if:

it is new,
it is distinct, sufficiently uniform and stable,
it has an acceptable denomination, and
formalities are met.

The protection given to a breeder by a grant of PVR resembles that given to an inventor by a patent grant, but there are significant differences between these two forms of Intellectual Property (IP) rights.

A plant variety rights holder may license others to produce plants for sale and to sell propagating material of the protected variety.

Rights holders commonly collect royalties from the commercialisation of their protected varieties.

As with other types of proprietary rights, you may bring civil action against persons or businesses infringing your rights.

People are free to:
- Purchase and grow or use a protected variety for non-commercial purposes.
- Use the plants or parts of the plants (in this case the hop cones) of the protected variety for human consumption or other non-propagating purposes.

Contacting Us
If there are any questions regarding Plant Variety Rights, you may contact us using the information below.

wildabouthops.nz
2896 South Eyre Road
Rangiora, Canterbury 7476
New Zealand

Email: click here

PH: 0210 240 7203