CIOPORA Academy hosting first workshop in U.S.

HAMBURG -- The CIOPORAAcademy, the specialized training and certificate program for individuals seeking to expand their knowledge of Intellectual Property (IP) protection in the field of horticulture, will host its first U.S.-based workshop Sept. 8-9 in Watsonville, CA, at Driscoll’s Cassin Conference Center. The CIOPORA Academy is the educational arm of CIOPORA, the International Association of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Varieties.

“CIOPORA has been dedicated to IP protection for plants for over 55 years and, as an association, has amassed an incredible amount of knowledge. It is our mission to now put this valuable knowledge into the hands of the people who really need it – plant breeders, growers, traders and anyone involved in the horticulture supply chain – through The CIOPORA Academy,” said Dr. Edgar Krieger, Secretary General of CIOPORA. “The California Workshop on Worldwide IP for Plants will provide practical IP tools via small-group, hands-on learning.”

The workshop will bring participants through six, 90-minute interactive modules. Topics and speakers include:
• Updates on Plant Patents in the U.S. and Utility Patents
• Basic Principles of Trademark Protection
• Basic Principles of Plant Breeders’ Right (PBR)
• Basics of Licensing of PBR and Plant Patents
• New Developments in PBR
• Suitability and Use of Variety Denomination and its Relation to Trademarks

The modules will be led by experts Dr. Robert Jondle, Patent Attorney with Jondle & Associates, USA; Tjeerd Overdijk, IP Attorney with Vondst, The Netherlands; and Dr. Edgar Krieger, Secretary General of CIOPORA, Germany.

The CIOPORA Academy is an ongoing, specialized training and certification program that was developed to fill the need for continued education on the rules and regulations surrounding IP for ornamental and fruit plants. Workshops are held at locations throughout the world and provide practical knowledge for all individuals in the horticulture supply chain. Workshop participants are divided into classrooms of 12-15 individuals in order to create an interactive atmosphere with hands-on learning.

Individuals who successfully complete the California Workshop on Worldwide IP for plants will receive a certificate verifying completion from CIOPORA. Seats are limited for the workshops; to view the agenda and register, visit bit.ly/2a4bZXq. 

To learn more about upcoming or past CIOPORA Academy workshops, visitwww.ciopora-academy.org