b'A NEW TOOL HELPING YOU IN THE REALM OF RETAIL SEED SALES.DO YOU SELL SEED? KNOW YOUR IP OBLIGATIONSOur latest Retail Roundtable webinar was a good reminder of the importance of protecting intellectual property. Heres a synopsis.Marc ZienkiewiczIF YOU SELL SEED, the acronym IP should be part of your vocab-ulary, says Anthony Parker, commissioner for the Canadian Food Inspection Agencys Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) Office.Intellectual property (IP) protection refers to the legal rights granted to creators or innovators for their intellectual creations such as literary works, artistic works, design, symbols, inven-tions and creations. In the world of music and literature, it is known as copyright. Inventions such as the iPhone or vaccines are protected by patents, while trademarks protect the symbolsAnthony Parker Todd Hyra Melanie Reekiea company uses for its branding.CFIA PlantSeCan WesternSeeds Canada IP In the case of plant breeding, PBR is a specific form of IPBreeders RightsBusiness Manager Services Managerprotection for plant varieties. This protection helps to encour- Commissionerage innovators to bring their creations to the marketplace.We know that society as a whole benefits through progress in research and development. When those innovations like new varieties are commercialized by innovators, farmers benefit, says Parker. Higher yield, higher productivityconsumers benefit from that. rights while it is being examined, the applicant or the breeder IP protection aims to provide innovators with a monopolybenefits from all the rights they have once their application is over their creation or inventioneven in plant breeding. Theapproved.purpose of this monopoly is to prevent other individuals orIts something thats of crucial importance to seed compa-entities from claiming ownership, appropriating, or using thenies like SeCan, Canadas largest supplier of certified seed.creation or invention without fair compensation. In exchangeWhen it comes to the importance of awareness and for this monopoly, the government grants the innovator with IPenforcement, Im reminded that it is truly a shared responsibil-protection for a limited time. ity. Whether youre a retailer, a plant breeder, or a farmer, its Why? Because plant breedingwhich leads to the creationcrucial to share information about best practices and regula-of new seed varietiesis painstaking and expensive. tions with customers and fellow industry members. By doing The fixed costs, such as upfront development costs, areso, we can all increase our awareness and understanding of the high, while the reproduction costs are low since plants makelaws and guidelines that govern our work, he says.copies of themselves. However, the economic benefits of theMelanie Reekie, manager of intellectual property services innovation can be appropriated by others, who do not providefor Seeds Canada, says that while enforcement is necessary in fair compensation to the innovator, Parker says.some cases, its preferable to have a community that is well-PBR aims to protect the innovators work and innovationinformed and committed to following the rules. by providing them with a licensing fee or royalty, which helpsThats why I believe that we all have a responsibility to them recover the costs associated with the innovation. share information and work together to ensure that our indus-PBR provides innovators with provisional protection fromtry operates in a safe and responsible manner. In the end, it the moment they file for protection. This means that during thebenefits everyone involved, from the businesses and individuals period between filing an application and pending the grant ofto the wider community and business environment, she adds.50GERMINATION.CAJULY 2023'