In Korea, plant varieties are protected by two different laws, the Patent Law and the Plant Varieties Protection Act. The former covers a-sexually reproducing varieties while the latter sexually reproducing varieties. In protecting plant varieties, the two Acts are different from each other in terms of requirements for protection such as inventiveness and adequate disclosure. The author argues that the dual protection system for plant varieties should be reformed. A critical problem of the present dual system is that since patents are available only for a- sexually reproducing varieties in particular by Art.31 of the Patent Law, breeders and discoverers of sexually reproducing varieties are excluded from patent system. The problem gets worse in the new technology environment where rapid development of the genetic engineering makes the classification between sexual and a-sexual reproduction obscure. In practice, breeders and discoverers of sexually reproducing varieties takes a detour to get patent, for example, by way of combining elements of a-sexual reproduction with that of sexual reproduction in their applications for patents. In principle, however, there is no self- evident reason why under the Patent Law sexually reproducing varieties are treated differently from a-sexually reproducing varieties. In fact, many countries have one patent system available for both of them. In short, the author argues that repealing Art. 31 of the Patent Law which excludes sexually reproducing varieties from patent system, legal protection system for plant varieties should be unified, or alternatively reformed in direction to its harmonization with the requirements of the Plant Variety Protection Act.
목차
1. 처음에 2. 식물신품종 보호의 국제적 보호동향 가. UPOV조약의 주요내용 나. 미국의 식물신품종에 대한 보호 다. 유럽의 식물신품종에 대한 보호 라. 일본의 식물신품종에 대한 보호 마. 소결 3. 식물신품종에 대한 우리나라의 특허법과 종자산업법에 의한 보호 4. 결어
본 학회는 지식재산 및 관련 제도(특허, 실용신안, 상표, 디자인, 영업비밀, 저작권, 반도체칩, 컴퓨터프로그램, 데이터베이스, 디지털콘텐츠 등)에 관한 국내외 이론과 실무에 대한 연구를 촉진하여 지식재산분야의 학문간 융합발전과 국제적 유대를 강화하고, 지식재산에 관한 지식을 보급하여 인적 네트워크 구축과 정책제언을 추진하며 이를 통해 국가발전에 이바지하는 것을 목적으로 한다.