REPUBLIC OF KOREA ACCEDES TO THE UPOV CONVENTIONToday the Republic of Korea became the fiftieth member of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The purpose of the UPOV Convention is to encourage the development of new varieties of plants by granting breeders an intellectual property right on the basis of a set of clearly defined principles. To be eligible for protection, varieties need to satisfy certain conditions, such as being distinct from existing, commonly known varieties and sufficiently uniform and stable. New varieties of plants are one of the most powerful tools to enhance food production in a sustainable way, to increase income in the agricultural sector and to contribute to overall development. The Secretary-General of UPOV, Dr. Kamil Idris, welcomed the deposit of the instrument of accession of the Republic of Korea to the UPOV Convention (1991 Act) and expressed his satisfaction that UPOV has now reached fifty members. The members of UPOV are:
UPOV, an intergovernmental organization based in Geneva, cooperates in administrative matters with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). For further information about UPOV, please contact the UPOV Secretariat: Tel: (+41-22) 338 9155 E-mail: upov.mail@wipo.int Fax: (+41-22) 733 0336 Website: www.upov.int [End] |