Monday: CIOPORA Academy and CIOPORA Board Meeting
Monday will begin with a workshop of the CIOPORA Academy, the educational arm of CIOPORA, will hold a small-group workshop focused on IP in horticulture led by experts from around the globe. Topics will include:
- The Basics of Applying for Plant Patents
- Trademark Law in the US
- Novelty (Period of Grace) in PBR and Plant Patents
- IP Enforcement in the US: Civil, Criminal and Customs Law
- PBR and Trademarks in Mexico
- Thomas Leidereiter, Green Rights, Germany
- Dr. Gary Benzion, United States Patent and Trademark Office, USA
- Laura Pitts, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, USA
- Guy Birkenmeier, Baker & McKenzie, USA
- Enriqueta Molina Macías, Santamarina y Steta, Mexico
Tuesday: Crop Section Meetings and Open Sessions Biotechnology and Patents
Tuesday, April 25, will begin with meetings of CIOPORA Crop Sections Fruit, Gypsophila and Cut Rose/IRBA.
Running in conjunction with the CS Meetings will be the North American Breeders Meeting. This meeting will be the first of its kind to gather breeders of vegetatively propagated ornamentals and fruits from the US, Canada and Mexico to discuss the challenges related to intellectual property protection faced by breeders in North America. Topics for the meeting will include:
- Article 102b of the US Patent Act: Novelty and loss of right to Patent
- The EDV Concept: How to bring mutants and GMO under the protection of the Initial Variety
- The Advantages and Limitations of the US Plant Patent vs. Plant Variety Rights
- The Asexual Reproduction of Seed Crops
Wednesday: AGM Administrative and IP Part
The annual administrative meeting of CIOPORA Members will take place on the morning of Wednesday, April 26. Topics tackled during this meeting will include (but will not be limited to): voting on the annual CIOPORA budget, updates on the administrative staff and tasks, voting for the next CIOPORA president as well as the CIOPORA board, honoring CIOPORA members for their dedication to the association, approval of AGM 2018 location and date.
On Wednesday afternoon, thirteen experts from both inside and outside of CIOPORA membership will present during the AGM IP Part on Wednesday afternoon. Topics will include updates from UPOV and the CPVO, new member introductions, country updates, discussions on patents and more.
Wednesday will culminate with the annual CIOPORA Member AGM Dinner held at the CN Tower in downtown Toronto.
Thursday: Toronto Public Conference
The CIOPORA Public IP Conference will take place on Thursday, April 27 at the Radisson Admiral Hotel in Toronto and will be open to the public. The agenda will consist of 15 presentations and panel discussions on topics including New Plant Breeding Techniques and related challenges, North American market and trade trends in the fruit and ornamental industries, US Free Trade Agreements and their role in IP for plants, taxation of royalties and other hot-button topics in the horticulture industry
Friday: Business Excursions
AGM Week will end outside of the conference room with two separate business excursions for fruit and ornamental members. Buses will take participants through the vineland region for tours of local operations, and the groups will join for two tracks of presentations at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.
For more information:
CIOPORA
Deichstraße 29
20459 Hamburg
Germany
T: +49 (0)40-555-63-702
F: +49 (0)40-555-63-703
www.ciopora.org