New judicial explanation enhances plant-variety rights protection

BEIJING - A new judicial explanation will take effect from Wednesday to clarify legal problems in the lawsuits of plant-variety rights violations, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said.

The legal document makes clear that the property rights of any new plant variety will be protected by the law regardless of the way it is bred, the SPC said in a statement.

Those who assist others in violating a breeder's property rights by facilitating the purchase, storage, transport and processing of a new plant variety, will be punished by law, the statement said.

New measures came into effect to ease difficulties when a property rights holder raises evidence against the offender.

Under these measures, the courts must protect the rights of farmers to breed new plants on their farms and prevent the abuse of such rights simultaneously.