Hamburg, Germany and West Chicago, Illinois, USA
July 15, 2019

This summer, CIOPORA will partner with its U.S.-based member Ball Horticultural Company to bring a CIOPORA Academy Workshop on Intellectual Property (IP) for plants to the Chicago area. With five lectures on various aspects of IP protection for plant innovations on August 15 and a tour of the Ball facilities in West Chicago on August 16, the workshop will deliver a unique learning and networking experience to horticulture professionals.

“Over the past three years, the U.S. edition of the CIOPORA Academy has become a tradition anticipated by the green sector colleagues on both sides of the big pond,” says the CIOPORA Secretary General Dr. Edgar Krieger. “The program caters to horticulture professionals active globally and it is reflected in the offered contents, providing insights into both the U.S. and European jurisdictions.”

The workshop’s program will kick-off with lectures on the U.S. Utility Patents and Plant Variety Protection (PVP) for vegetatively reproduced crops, as well as the interplay between the breeders’ exemption under UPOV and the U.S. Plant Patent law. The European topics, including the EU patents for plant innovations and the current status of New Breeding Techniques (NBT), will follow in the afternoon. On August 16, Ball Horticultural Company will invite the participants on a tour of its West Chicago headquarters.

“Ball Horticultural Company is thrilled to co-host this educational event where breeders can learn more about Plant Variety Protection,” says Santiago Brown, Director of Research and Development for Ball. “The closer look at The Gardens at Ball and our Premier Seed Lab are excellent opportunities as well for all attendees.”

The registration for the workshop is open. Tickets are limited and available on a first come, first served basis. To view the full program, please visit: www.ciopora.org.

Program
August 15
1. U.S. Utility Patents for vegetatively reproduced plants. Speaker: Audrey Charles, Patent Agent and Trademark Administrator at Ball Horticultural Company
2. Plant Variety Protection for vegetatively reproduced varieties in the USA. Speaker: Travis Bliss, Counsel & IP Biotech Group Chair at Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney PC
3. UPOV, the Breeder’s Exemption, and U.S. Plant Patent Law. Speaker: Matthew Chivvis, Partner at Morrison & Foerster LLP, USA
4. Patent for Plant Innovations in the EU – new developments
5. The European Court of Justice ruling on New Breeding Techniques and its Consequences for the Horticultural Business. Speaker: Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis, Counsel at Houthoff, The Netherlands

August 16, Visit at Ball Horticultural Company
Welcome by CEO & President Ms. Anna Ball; Presentation about new R&D initiative at Ball and the importance of IP protection; Tour of the Ball Seed Processing Center and Seed Distribution Center; Tour of The Gardens at Ball.

About CIOPORA
CIOPORA is the International Association of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Horticultural Varieties. Breeders of such varieties account for two-thirds of all Plant Variety Rights (PVR) titles in the world.?For more than 50 years, CIOPORA has represented these breeders in all matters of Intellectual Property (IP) protection and aims to foster an environment in which the innovation of these breeders can flourish. CIOPORA is a member-based, non-profit organization.

The CIOPORA Academy is an ongoing, specialized training and certificate program for individuals seeking to expand their knowledge of Intellectual Property (IP) in the field of horticulture. The CIOPORA Academy events are held at different locations around the world and vary between one-day workshops to three-day seminars tailored to the needs of the green sector. Each event tackles topics surrounding IP for plant innovations and is led by world’s leading IP experts. With six workshops and over 100 learners from 17 countries so far, the CIOPORA Academy aspires to be a global reference program on IP for the green business. www.ciopora-academy.org

About Ball Horticultural Company
Ball Horticultural Company is an internationally renowned breeder, producer and wholesale distributor of ornamental plants. A family-owned business since it was founded in 1905, Ball has introduced many innovative, award-winning varieties. The company has worldwide production, sales and marketing through its many subsidiaries on six continents. Visit www.ballhort.com for more information.