CHAPTER III                       

                           REGISTRATION OF PLANT VARIETY

 

24.      Registration of Extant Plant Varieties under sub-section (2) of section 15 -   

(1)   The Registrar shall register every extant variety within three years from the date of its notification under the Act, with respect to the genera and species eligible for registration subject to conformity to the criteria of distinctiveness, uniformity, and stability as laid down under the regulations:  

Provided that the Registrar may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, register an extant variety after the expiry of the said period of three years.  

25.       Application to authorize a person to register a variety under clause (e) of sub-section (1) of section 16 

An application to authorize a person to register a variety under clause (e) of sub-section (1) of section 16 shall be made in Form PV-1, given in the First Schedule, by a person specified in sub-section (1) of that section.  

26.       The fee payable under   clause (g) of sub-section (1) of section 18 for making application for registration of plant variety -  

The fee for making application for registration of a plant variety under section 14 shall be such as specified in column (3) of the Second Schedule for the purpose.  

27.       Proof of the right of making application under sub-section (3) of section 18  -  

(1) Where an application for registration is made by the successor or assignee of the breeder under sub-section (3) of section 18, he shall furnish documentary proof, at the time of making such application or within six months of making such an application, as to the right to make such an application for registration.  

(2) The documentary proof, in case of an assignment, shall be furnished in the manner specified in Form PV - 2, given in the First Schedule and in case of succession, or a succession certificate or any other document in support of succession proving  the applicant to be the successor shall be furnished.  

28.       Fee for conducting tests under section 19  -  

The applicant shall deposit the requisite fee for the purpose  as specified in column (3) of the Second Schedule, with the Registrar for conducting the required tests under section 19.  

29.       Manner and method for conducting tests under section 19  -  

(1)   (a) The Authority shall charge separate fees for conducting DUS test and special test on each variety.

(b)   The special tests shall be conducted only when DUS testing fails to establish the requirement of distinctiveness.

(c)    The DUS testing shall be field and multi-location based for at least two crop seasons and special tests be laboratory based.

(d)   The fee for DUS and special tests shall be such as provided in column (3) of the Second Schedule for the purpose.  

(2)   If the Registrar, after initial scrutiny of the application for registration, is satisfied that the application is in order, he shall notify the applicant to deposit the requisite fee, as specified in column (3) of the Second Schedule, within a period of two months for conducting the DUS test.  

(3)   On receipt of the fee, demanded under sub-rule (1), the Registrar shall consider the application for further processing.  

(4)   The DUS test shall be necessary for all new varieties except essentially derived variety.  

(5)   The manner of testing essentially derived varieties shall be decided by the Authority on a case-to-case basis.  

(6)   The DUS test shall be conducted on a minimum of two locations.  

(7)   The Authority may recognize and empanel institutions having adequate facilities for conducting DUS or special tests in the country for conducting such tests.   

(8)   The Authority shall notify the adopted methods of conducting the DUS and special tests.  

(9)   The Authority shall develop  and publish in its journal guidelines for the DUS test for each crop.  

(10)           The samples of seeds or propagules in respect of which an application for registration has been made and parental lines under registration submitted for the DUS and special tests and deposited at the National Gene Bank shall present the maintainable standards of genetic purity, and uniformity and germination, sanitary and phytosanitary standards.       

30.    Advertising of application for registration under section 21 -  

(1)          Every application for registration of a variety which has been accepted and the details thereof including specifications shall, upon such acceptance under sub-section (1) of section 20, be advertised by the Registrar in the manner specified in Form – 0-1 of the Third Schedule.  

(2)          In every such advertisement under sub-rule (1), the Registrar shall mention the place or places where a specimen of the variety may be inspected.  

(3)          The contents of such advertisement shall include  -

(a)    name, passport data and source of parental line or initial variety used to develop the variety in respect of which an application for registration has been made ;

(b)   description of the variety bringing out its character profile as specified under the DUS test Schedule ;

(c)    essential characteristics conferring distinctiveness to the variety ;

(d)   important agronomic and commercial attributes of the variety ;

(e)    photographs or drawings, if any, of the variety submitted by the applicant; and  

(f)     claim, if any, on the variety.

 

31.           Notice of opposition under sub-section (2) of section 21  -

(1) Any interested person, may within three months from the date of advertisement of an application for registration, may give a notice of opposition to the registration of a plant variety in Form PV-3 of the First Schedule.  

(2)   The fee payable for filing an opposition referred to in sub-rule (1) shall be as specified in column (3) of the Second Schedule :  

Provided that no such fee shall be payable in respect of an opposition made by a farmer or group of farmers, or village community.  

(3) A copy each of the notice of opposition received against a specific application shall be referred to the applicant by the Registrar within three months from the last date of filing of opposition.

(4) An applicant shall be entitled to submit point-wise counter statement to the opposition not later than two months from the date of service of the copy of the notice of opposition, failing which the Registrar shall decide the merits of the opposition and notify his decision by giving reasons therefor.

(5)  Every counter-statement under sub-rule (4) shall be in Form PV-4 of the First Schedule.

(6)   The copies of counter to opposition submitted by the applicant within  the time specified in sub-rule(4) , shall be conveyed to the person opposing  the application, within a period of thirty days of its receipt, requiring the opposing person to submit the final opposition within a period of thirty days from the date of service of the counter from the applicant.  

(7)   The Registrar, may at his discretion, allow any correction of error or amendments in the notice of opposition or counter statement if such alteration is requested by the persons concerned in writing.

(8)   (a) The security referred to in sub-section (8) of section 21 shall be payable as an amount decided by the Authority.

(b) In case the opposition is found to be frivolous, the Registrar may direct payment of cost as determined by him to the applicant from out of the security amount received and the balance of the security amount shall be deposited in the Authority.

                 (c)  In case the opposition succeeds, the security amount shall be refunded    to  the opposition party.  

32.       Compliance with Time Schedule  -

 (1) The time schedule provided for advertisement, opposition, defence, hearing and amendment of specification under these rules shall not be extended and failure in compliance with these time schedules shall forfeit the opportunity granted.  

33.       Manner of submitting evidence and time limit for filing notice of opposition, counter-statement or producing evidences under section 21  -  

(1)   Any evidence, upon which the opponent may rely, shall be submitted in duplicate to the Registrar with a copy to the applicant within one month from the receipt of counter-statement of the applicant.   

(2)   Any evidence upon which the applicant may rely shall be submitted in duplicate to the Registrar with a copy to the opponent within thirty days from the date of receipt of opponent’s evidence.  

(3)   No further evidence shall be submitted by either party except by leave or directions of the Registrar.    

(4)   The copies of all the documents, except plant variety application, referred to in the notice of opposition or in any counter-statement filed in connection with the opposition shall be in triplicate unless the Registrar directs otherwise.  

(5) Where a document, is in a language other than English, and is referred to or relied upon in the notice, statement or evidence, an attested translation in English thereof shall be furnished in triplicate.  

(6) The time-limit for filing the evidence shall not ordinarily be extended except by a special order of the Registrar given on an application filed by the person seeking extension of time and on payment of the fee specified in the Second Schedule and such an application for extension shall be in Form- PV 5 of the First Schedule.  

34.       Application for the registration of essentially derived variety under section 23  -  

(1) The application for registration of an essentially derived variety shall be accompanied by the following documents, namely :  

(a)    an affidavit sworn by the applicant stating that such a variety does not contain any gene or gene sequence involving terminator technology ;

(b)   a statement giving details of the brief description of the characteristics of the variety to substantiate novelty, distinctiveness, uniformity and stability; and

(c)    the details of parental material used.  

            (2) The application under sub-rule (1) shall be accompanied by the fee as  specified for the purpose in column (3) of the Second Schedule.  

35.       Manner and method for conducting test under section 23  -  

                        The tests referred to in sub-section (3) of section 23 shall be conducted by the Authority in consultation with the Central Government.    

36.       Certificate of registration under section 23  -  

The Registrar shall issue to the applicant a certificate of registration of an essentially derived variety in the manner specified in Form O-2 of the Third Schedule and send a copy of the registration to the Authority and to such other body (ies) as may be notified by the Central Government for information.