Law No. 255 of December 30, 1998, on the Protection of New Plant Varieties, Romania

ROMANIA

LAW ON THE PROTECTION OF THE NEW PLANT VARIETIES

CHAPTER I General Provisions

Article 1 Object of Protection

Breeders' rights in the new plant varieties of all genera and species of plants are protected and recognized in the territory of Romania, through the grant of a variety patent by the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks, on the conditions specified in this Law.

Article 2 Definitions

For the purposes of this Law:

a) variety means a plant grouping within a single botanical taxon of the lowest known rank, which grouping may be:

1) defined by the expression of the characteristics resulting from a given genotype or combination of genotypes;

2) distinguished from any other plant grouping by the expression of at least one of the characteristics under para 1);

3) considered as a unit with respect to its suitability for propagation unchanged the hybrid with the parental forms is also consider to be a variety;

b) protected variety means cultivated variety for which a variety patent has been granted by the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks;

c) propagating material means seeds, whole plants or various parts of plants which are capable of reproducing the whole plants;

d) breeder means:

1) the person who has bred or discovered and developed a new variety;

2) the person who is the employer of the person referred to in para (1) or who has commissioned the work of creating or discovering new varieties in accordance with this Law or an agreement specifying that the breeders' rights belong to the former;

3) the successor in title of the person under paragraph (1) or (2), as the case may be;

e) applicant means the person who has filed an application for the grant of a variety patent with the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks;

f) holder means the person who holds a breeders' rights;

g) Office means the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks;

h) growing tests means trials conducted by growing to determine the distinctness, uniformity and stability of the new variety in comparison with a reference variety.

Article 3 National Treatment

Any foreign natural or legal person having his place of residence or registered office outside the territory of Romania shall also benefit from the provisions of this Law in terms of the international conventions on plant variety protection to which Romania is a party.

Article 4 Representation

Natural and legal persons applying for the protection of a new plant variety may be represented, in the proceedings before the Office concerning the protection of the new variety, by an authorized agent having his place of residence or registered office in Romania. Representation by an authorized agent is mandatory for foreigners.

CHAPTER II

PATENTABILITY OF NEW PLANT VARIETIES

Article 5 Conditions of Protection

The Office grants protection for a new plant variety and issues a variety patent if the variety is:

a) new; b) distinct; c) uniform; d) stable and e) designated by a denomination in conformity with the provisions of Article 15.

Article 6 Novelty

(1) The variety is new if, on the filing date of the application for the grant of protection, or on the priority date, propagating material or harvested material of the variety has not been sold or otherwise disposed of to the others either by or with the consent of the breeder, for the purpose of exploitation of the new variety

(a) on the territory of Romania, earlier than one year before the filing date of the application for a variety patent;

(b) on the territory of other States, earlier than six years before the filing of the application for a variety patent for fruit trees, vines and forest trees, and earlier than four years for another species.

(2) Novelty shall likewise not be lost where the variety

(a) forms part of an agreement on the transfer of rights, and the commercial exploitation of the variety did not take place prior to the filing of the application;

(b) forms part of an agreement between the breeder and another person by virtue of which the breeder authorizes the multiplication of the propagating material under his control;

(c) forms part of an agreement between the breeder and a third party concerning the conduct of a study or of a field test or laboratory trials, or of small-scale processing trials for the evaluation of the variety;

(d) has been disposed of to others as propagating or harvested material of the variety used for the purposes specified in Article 27 para (1) and not used for subsequent propagation, those acts not being deemed commercial exploitation of the new variety within the meaning of Article 27 para (1);

(e) has been disposed of as a result of the breeder having displayed the new variety at an officially recognized exhibition;

(f) has been disposed of to an official body, for statutory purposes or under a contract, with a view to production, reproduction, multiplication, processing or storage, provided that the breeder retains the exclusive right of exploitation of the variety and no other previous disposal for commercial purposes has taken place; if the variety has been thus disposed of for the production of a hybrid which has been marketed, the provisions of paragraph (1) shall be applied;

(g) has been disposed of by a company or firm to another company or firm to which it is subordinate, or which with it is wholly owned by a third such company or firm, provided that no other such disposal had taken place.

Article 7 Distinctness

(1) A variety is distinct if it is clearly distinguishable by the expression of one or more relevant characteristics that result from a particular genotype or combination of genotypes, from any other variety whose existence is a matter of common knowledge on the filing date of the application with the Office, or, where applicable, on the date of the priority claimed.

(2) The distinctness of a variety is defined by the morphological and physiological characteristics, provided that those characteristics are capable of precise recognition and description.

(3) Where a plant variety has been granted protection or has been the subject of a variety patent application for such protection or has been entered in the official register of plant varieties of any country, which application would result in the grant of the breeders' rights in that particular variety, the said variety shall be deemed a matter of common knowledge on the filing date of the variety patent application.

Article 8 Uniformity

A variety is uniform if, subject to the variation that might be expected of it, owing to the particular features of its propagation, it is sufficiently uniform in the expression of those characteristics that are included in the examination for distinctness, as well as any other characteristics used for variety description.

Article 9 Stability

The variety is stable, if the expression of the characteristics that are included in the examination for distinctness, and any other characteristics used for the variety description, remain unchanged after repeated propagation, or in special cases, at the end of each propagation cycle.

CHAPTER III RIGHT TO PROTECTION

Article 10 Right to a Variety Patent

(1) He right to a variety patent shall belong to the breeder. Where that right has been assigned under Article 35, it shall belong to the person to whom it has been assigned.

(2) If two or more breeders have bred or discovered and developed a new variety jointly, the right to protection shall belong to them jointly.

(3) The right to the grant of a variety patent shall also belong jointly to the breeder and to any other person if the breeder and the other person have declared in writing that they agree to such joint entitlement.

(4) A breeder, who created a new variety during an employment relationship is entitled, unless otherwise provided in his employment contract, to the breeders' rights and equitable remuneration.

(5) When the amount of remuneration, is determined, account shall be taken of the economic value of the variety and also the income of the company attributable to its exploitation. The amount of the remuneration shall be established by contract concluded between the breeder or breeders and the company or, where the parties fail to agree, by a court of law.

(6) Where a judgement has ruled that a person other than the one mentioned in the variety patent is entitled to the grant of protection, the Office shall issue the variety patent to the entitled person and publish the change in the Official Bulletin for Industrial Property.

CHAPTER IV

PROCEDURE FOR THE EXAMINATION OF APPLICATIONS FOR VARIETY PATENTS

Article 11

Filing of the Application

The application for the grant of a variety patent shall be filed with the Office by any natural or legal person entitled to such grant under Article 10, or by the authorized agent of such person as provided by Law.

Article 12 Content of the Application for a Variety Patent

(1) The application for the grant of a variety patent shall contain:

(a) a request for the grant of a variety patent and the data identifying the applicant or applicants as the case may be;

(b) a provisional denomination of the variety;

(c) identification of the botanical taxon, with both its Latin and its common name;

(d) a technical questionnaire describing the new variety in a standardized form;

(e) a claim of priority deriving from an earlier application filed in another State, where applicable.

(2) The application for the grant of a variety patent shall be accompanied by the following documents:

(a) proof of payment of the fee for the filing of the application;

(b) documents confirming the priority, if claimed;

(c) the power of attorney where the applicant is represented by an authorized agent;

(d) a statement by the applicant on his own responsibility, that the variety for which protection (is sought) has not been commercially exploited, as provided in Article 6;

(e) the names of the breeder or breeders and a declaration by the applicant according to which, to the best of his knowledge, no other persons have been involved in breeding, or discovery and development of the variety;

(f) the instrument of assignment of the right to the grant of a variety patent where the applicant is not the same person as the breeder;

(g) any other documents and material capable of providing information on the origin and testing of the new variety, or on any variety patent application filed in another country;

(h) the geographical origin of the variety.

(3) The application shall relate to one variety only.

(4) All documentation shall be submitted in Romanian.

Article 13 Official Filing Date of the Variety Patent Application

(1) The official filing date of the variety patent application shall be the date on which it is filed with the Office, provided that at least the requirements specified in Article 12(1)(a) to (d) have been met, and that the application filing fee has been paid.

(2) The official filing date may also be the filing date of the application under paragraph (1) above where, for valid reasons, foreign applicants, whether natural of legal persons, submitted documentation in a foreign language, provided that Romanian translation of the application is produced within three months of the date of receipt of the documentation.

Article 14 Right of Priority

(1) The filing of an application for a variety patent confers a right of priority, starting on the filing date, for any subsequent application for a variety that is not clearly distinguishable from it as provided in Article 7.

(2) Any person who has previously filed a first application in a State party to an international convention in the field of new plant variety protection to which Romania is party, shall enjoy a right of priority of 12 months from the filing date of the first application if, within that period, he applies to the Office for the grant of a patent for the same variety, provided that the first application was properly filed on the priority date claimed.

(3) In order to prove the claim of priority from another State, the applicant shall submit to the Office, within three months from the filing of the application, certified copies of the documents of the first application, as well as the propagating material or other evidence proving that the varieties referred to in both applications are identical.

(4) Priority claimed under paragraph (3), above shall be recognized in so far as the priority fee prescribed by law has been paid.

(5) Failure to observe the time limit provided for in paragraph (2) above or failure to pay the priority fee shall result in non-recognition of the priority claimed.

(6) Acts performed within the period provided for in paragraph (2), such as the filing of another application or publication or use of the variety to which the first application relates, do not constitute grounds for refusal of a subsequent application and do not give rise to any third party rights.

Article 15 Variety Denomination

(1) The variety shall be designated by a generic denomination to permit its identification.

(2) The denomination shall be specified in the granted variety patent and shall also be used after the expiry of its term of validity.

(3) The denomination shall differ from any denomination that designates another existing variety belonging to the same or a closely related species.

(4) The denomination shall not consist only of figures, except where this is an established practice for the designation of certain plant varieties.

(5) The denomination shall not mislead or cause confusion concerning the characteristics, va lue or identity of the variety or of the breeder.

(6) If applications for the grant of variety patent are filed in Romania and simultaneously in other countries, the variety shall be registered under the same denomination in all the countries in which applications are filed, unless the Office considers the denomination unsuitable.

(7) If, by virtue of a prior right, the denomination has already been used or may cause confusion with the use of the denomination of another variety, the Office shall request the applicant to submit another denomination for his variety.

(8) In order to establish a correct denomination, the applicant may ask the Office, against payment of the preliminary examination fee, to conduct a search concerning the variety denomination.

(9) Any person who sells or markets propagating material of a protected variety is obliged to use the denomination of that variety even after expiry of the term of protection.

(10) Where a protected variety is offered for sale or marketed, a trademark, or trade name, or any other similar indication may be affixed to it for identification of the plant variety on the market.

(11) The variety denomination shall be entered in the National Register of Protected Varieties at the same time as the variety patent is issued.

(12) Where at least one of the conditions specified for in paragraphs (1) to (9) is not fulfilled, the Office shall cancel the registered denomination.

Article 16 Examination of the Application as to Form

(1) Within two months from the filing date of an application for the protection of a new variety, the Office shall ascertain whether the documentation filed by the applicant satisfies the formal requirements for the application, set forth in Article 10 (1) to (4) and 12.

(2) If the application meets the requirements referred to in paragraph (1) above, the Office shall enter the application in the National Register of the Variety Patent Applications and notify the applicant accordingly.

(3) Applications for the protection of the new varieties filed with the Office shall be published, within three months from the date of filing, in the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property.

(4) Where the application for the grant of a variety patent does not meet one of the provisions of Article 10, and 12, the Office shall decide, within an examination board, to reject the application.

Article 17 Substantive Examination of the Application

(1) The Office shall within nine months carry out a substantive examination of the variety patent application with respect to its novelty and variety denomination as provided for in Article 6, 15 and 16.

(2) The Office shall notify the applicant or his successor in title of the result of the substantive examination of the application; where the result is negative, a period not exceeding three months shall be accorded for reply.

(3) The applicant may for legitimate reasons ask the Office for a two -month extension of the period for reply.

(4) If after the substantive examination, the Office decides, that the application meets the requirements laid down in Articles 6, 10, 12 and 16, the variety shall undergo a technical examination by a competent national authority to which the Office shall send the documentation within one month from the decision.

(5) Where the application has not met the requirements of Article 6, 10, 12 and 16 and the applicant neither responds to the notification within the prescribed period, nor applies for an extension, the Office shall reject the application.

Article 18 Technical Examination of the New Variety

(1) The variety shall undergo a technical examination in order:

(a) to verify that the variety belongs to the botanical taxon stated;

(b) to establish that the variety is distinct, uniform and stable within the meaning of Articles 7 to 9.

(c) to establish the official description of the variety.

(2) The technical examination shall be performed by a competent national authority, if the applicant fails on filing the application with the Office, to submit the findings of growing tests carried out by another internationally recognized authority.

(3) Where growing tests for a new variety have not been performed by the national authority or by an internationally recognized authority, the Office may take into account a technical report drawn up by another competent authority, and purchased with the applicant’s consent, provided that the prescribed fee is paid.

(4) The competent national authority or company designated to perform the growing tests shall carry out the necessary tests to determine whether the provisions of Articles 7 to 9 have been satisfied. The applicant shall make samples of the propagating material available to the authority conducting the tests in the amount requested and shall notify the Office, the date of delivery.

(5) Within two years from the start of the growing tests, the national competent authority shall draw up, on the basis of the results obtained, a technical report comprising the test findings, and the morphological and physiological characteristics of the new variety as compared with the reference variety and the conclusions regarding the fulfillment of the requirements laid down in Articles 7 to 9.

(6) Where the growing tests have been conducted by a foreign competent authority or by the breeder,

they may be subjected to an analysis by the national authority. The validity of the tests shall be confirmed by a notice sent to the Office, within six months from the receipt of the documentation. Refusal of the validity of the tests findings shall be pronounced by the national authority in writing with a statement of reason.

(7) The Office shall reject the application for a variety patent if the validity of the tests is disputed by the national authority.

(8) The decision of the Office may be challenged by the applicant before the Board of Appeal of the Office, within three months from the communication.

(9) The Board of Appeal may decide:

(a) to accept the appeal and grant the variety patent;

(b) to accept the appeal, return the application for further substantive examination and were applicable request repetition of the test;

(c) to reject the applicant’s appeal.

Article 19 Testing of the Variety

(1) For the testing of the new variety the national authority may conduct its own growing tests or accept the findings of the tests performed by the applicant.

(2) The growing tests shall be conducted according to the methodology approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and the Office on the basis of the international guidelines for the testing of the new plant varieties.

(3) After having received the documentation and conducted the examination as to form, the Office, together with the national authority, shall establish the site for the trials and the amount of material necessary for organizing them and notify the applicant accordingly, inviting him to submit the propagating material requested. The Office and the national authority may request the applicant to submit all information, documents and materials necessary for the satisfactory conduct of the technical examination.

(4) If, within the period allowed, the information, documents or materials requested are not submitted, the variety patent, application shall be rejected.

(5) The applicant has the right to inspect the crop trials, during the testing of the new variety.

Article 20

Decisions of the Office

(1) The Office shall decide, on the basis of the technical report of the national authority or of an internationally recognized authority, whether the new variety meets the requirements laid down for in Articles 7 to 9 and 16 and shall grant the variety patent, or reject the application as appropriate.

(2) The decision to reject shall be taken by the Office only after the applicant has been notified of the

grounds for rejection and allowed a period of at least three months within which to submit comments.

(3) Decisions to grant variety patents, each with the description of the variety attached, shall be published in the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property within three months from the decision.

(4) During the term of the variety patent the official description of the protected variety may be amended by the Office or the applicant, subject to mutual consultation, in response to developments in agrobiological knowledge and variety description methods without the scope of protection and the characteristics of the new variety being thereby affected. Amendments made to the official description shall be published in the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property.

(5) Decisions of the Office may be challenged by applicants’ appeals on just grounds, the being lodged with the Board of Appeal of the Office in accordance with Article 38 (1).

Article 21 Provisional Protection

(1) During the period between the publication of the variety patent application under Article 16 (3) and the grant of the variety patent, the applicant shall provisionally enjoy all rights conferred on the patent holder, under Article 27.

(2) The infringement by third parties of rights provided for in paragraph (1) above shall make the infringers liable for damages under civil law, payment of the damages being enforceable once the rights have been granted.

(3) Any person who commits the acts provided for in Article 27 without the holder’s authorization during the period of provisional protection shall be liable under Article 40 (1).

(4) When the variety patent application has been rejected, the applicant shall not enjoy the rights provided for in paragraph (1) above.

Article 22 Extension of the Time Limit

The time limit for the examination of the application for a variety patent, and for verifying the growing tests findings may be extended by one year on payment of the fees provided for in items 3 and 4 of the Appendix.

Article 23 Withdrawal of the Application

The application for a variety patent may be withdrawn, on a request submitted to the Office by the applicant, any time until the decision on the grant of the variety patent is taken.

Article 24 Revocation of the Decision to Grant the Variety Patent

(1) Within three months from publication any person may apply to the Office for revocation of the decision to grant a variety patent, where at least one of the conditions set forth in Articles 6 to 10 and 15 has not been met; the request shall be made in writing and substantiated.

(2) The request for revocation shall be examined by the Board of Appeal within three months from the filing thereof with the Office.

(3) The Board of Appeal may, if it sees fit, ask the national authority to repeat the growing tests on the variety or to use the services of an expert who shall take part in the reexamination of the new variety.

(4) The decision of the Board of Appeal shall be communicated to the parties within 15 days of being pronounced.

(5) The decision of the Board of Appeal may be appealed against as provided in Article 38.

(6) Final decisions shall be published in the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property within 30 days.

Article 25 Issue of the Variety Patent and Registration of the Variety Denomination

(1) The variety patent shall be issued by the Director General of the Office in pursuance of the decision to grant the variety patent.

(2) The variety patent and the variety denomination shall be entered in the National Register of Protected Varieties, which is open to the public and may be consulted by third parties on payment of the inspection fee prescribed by the law.

(3) Where the application is filed by two or more applicants, the variety patent shall be issued to the first applicant mentioned in the application and the others shall be issued duplicates thereof.

(4) Where breeder, is not the holder of the patent, he shall be entitled to receive a duplicate of the granted variety patent on request.

CHAPTER V PROTECTION OF THE VARIETY

Article 26 Duration of Variety Protection

(1) The term of protection of the variety shall be 25 years as from the date of grant of the variety patent.

(2) For species of fruit trees, vines and ornamental forest trees the term of the variety patent shall be 30 years as from the date of the grant of protection.

CHAPTER VI RIGHTS OF THE HOLDER

Article 27 Exclusive Rights of the Holder

(1) The holder of rights shall enjoy the exclusive right of exploitation of the new variety and the right

to prevent any person, without his authority, from performing the following acts in relation to the propagating material and harvested material of the protected variety:

(a) production or reproduction; (b) processing for the purpose of propagation; (c) offering for sale; (d) selling or other marketing; (e) importing; (f) exporting; (g) stocking for one of the purposes mentioned in subparagraphs (a) to (f).

(2) The provisions of paragraph (1) shall also apply to varieties:

(a) that are essentially derived from the protected variety, where the protected variety is not itself an essentially derived variety;

(b) that are not clearly distinguishable from the protected variety in the meaning of Article 7;

(c ) the production of which requires repeated use of the protected variety;

(3) For purpose of paragraph 2(a) a variety shall be deemed "essentially derived" from another variety when:

(a) it is predominantly derived from the initial variety or from a variety that is itself predominantly derived from the initial variety;

(b) it is distinguishable, in terms of Article 7, from the initial variety from which it is derived;

(c) it conforms to the initial variety in the expression of the essential characteristics resulting from a genotype or combination of genotypes thereof, except for the differences resulting from the derivation.

Article 28 Exceptions to the Exclusive Rights of the Holder

(1) The rights conferred by a variety patent, under Article 27, shall not extend to:

(a) acts done privately and for non-commercial purposes;

(b) acts done for experimental purposes, including those done in the process of breeding other varieties from initial material.

(2) The persons who use the protected variety in the manner provided for in paragraph (1) are obliged to inform the holder accordingly.

Article 29 Exhaustion of the Holder´s Rights

(1) The holder’s rights shall not extend to acts in relation to any propagating or harvested material of the protected variety or of a variety covered by the provisions of Article 27(2) or to those in relation to parts of the plant of the protected variety or to any material derived from that variety that have been sold or marketed by the holder or with his consent, unless such acts involve:

(a) propagation of the protected variety;

(b) exporting the material of the protected variety to a third country that does not protect varieties of the genus or species to which the new variety belongs, except where the exported material is used for consumption.

CHAPTER VII LAPSE OF THE VARIETY PATENT

Article 30 Invalidation of the Variety Patent

(1) Any person having a legitimate interest may file a request for invalidation with the Office any time during the period of protection.

(2) The Board of Appeal shall invalidate the variety when it is established:

(a) that the variety was not new, in terms of Article 6 or distinct in terms of Article 7 on the filing date of application, or on the date of any priority claimed;

(b) that, where the grant of the variety patent has been essentially based on trials carried out or on information and documents submitted by the applicant, the variety was not uniform in terms of Article 8 or stable in terms of Article 9 on the date of grant;

(c) that the person who has been granted the variety patent is not entitled to it, except where the rights have been transferred to the entitled person.

(3) Decisions shall be communicated to the parties within 15 days of pronouncement, and may be challenged under Article 38.

(4) The decision to invalidate the variety patent shall be entered in the National Register of Protected Varieties and published in the Official Bulletin for Industrial Property.

(5) The decision to invalidate the variety patent come into effect on the date on which the application was filed with the Office.

Article 31 Forfeiture of Rights

(1) The Office shall declare the holder’s rights forfeit where one of the following situations obtains:

a) the holder does not fulfil his obligation to maintain the protected variety, as provided in Article 33(1);

b) the holder does not act on a request for the Office or the national authority that he supply information or material for the purpose of verifying the protected variety during the term of the patent;

c) the holder does not, within the time allowed, propose a suitable denomination for the plant variety where the Office has asked for a change in the denomination because it no longer fulfils the conditions set forth in Article 15;

d) the holder fails to pay the fees for keeping the variety patent in force;

(2) The Office shall not declare the holder’s rights forfeit before having notified him of his failure to comply with one of the obligations under paragraph (1)(a) to (c). Forfeiture of rights shall be published in the Official Bulletin for Industrial Property and shall be effective as of the date of entry in the National Register of Protected Varieties.

(3) The holder may, within 6 months from the date of publication of the forfeiture request the Office to revalidate the variety patent on just grounds.

(4) The decision of the Board of Appeal on the request for revalidation of the patent shall be communicated to the parties within 15 days of its pronouncement and may be challenged under Article 38. Revalidation of the variety patent shall be published in the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property.

(5) Exploitation of the variety by the third parties during the period between the forfeiture of rights and the revalidation of the patent shall not constitute infringement of the rights provided for in Articles 25 and 27.

Article 32 Renunciation to the Variety Patent

(1) The holder may renounce the variety patent at any time during the protection period on the basis of a written declaration submitted to the Office.

(2) The holder is obliged to inform the breeder of his intention to renounce the variety patent. At the breeder’s request the holder is obliged to transfer his rights in the patent to him before filing the written declaration of renunciation.

(3) Renunciation shall be effective as of the date of its submission to the Office. Renunciation shall be recorded in the National Register of Protected Varieties and published in the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property.

(4) Where the variety patent has been the subject of a licence contract, renunciation is possible only with the consent of the licensees.

CHAPTER VIII EXPLOITATION OF THE PROTECTED VARIETY

Article 33 Maintenance of the Protected Variety

(1) The holder is obliged to maintain the protected variety throughout the term of the variety patent so that the variety retains all the characteristics presented in the official description on the date of grant of the variety patent.

(2) In order to verify the distinctness, uniformity and stability of the protected variety, the national authority may ask the holder to supply seed, propagating material or documents, or any other information required for the purpose.

(3) The Office may, at any time, during the term of the variety patent, request the holder to provide information and documents attesting the existence of the variety and the maintenance of its characteristics.

(4) Where the holder does not comply with the request, the Office shall declare his rights under the variety patent forfeit in accordance with Article 31 (1)(a).

Article 34 Transfer of Variety Rights

(1) The right to apply for a variety patent, the rights in the variety patent, the rights deriving from the filing of the application for the variety patent with the Office, and the rights derived from the variety patent may be transferred to other natural or legal persons.

(2) The transfer of rights is performed by assignment, by an exclusive or non-exclusive licence contract or by legal or testamentary provision.

(3) The rights in a new variety shall likewise be transferred in the case prosecution of the holder in accordance with the Law.

(4) The transfer of rights shall not affect rights acquired by the third parties before the date of transfer.

(5) The assignment or the exclusive licence shall be entered in the National Register of Variety Patent Applications or the National Register of Protected Varieties, as the case may be, and shall become enforceable against third parties on the date of registration.

Article 35 Assignment Contract

The variety for which a patent application has been filed or for which a patent has been granted may the subject matter of an assignment contract.

Article 36 Licence Contract

(1) A variety for which a patent has been granted may be the subject of a licence contract.

(2) Where an exclusive licence is granted, the licencee shall enjoy the exclusive right of exploitation of the new variety, within the limits specified in the licence contract.

(3) Whenever a non-exclusive licence is granted, the holder shall retain the right to grant licences to third parties. The licencee does no have the right to transfer the right of exploitation of the variety to third

parties.

(4) The holder may publish his offer to grant the licence in the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property.

(5) The Office shall enter the exclusive licence contract in the National Register of Protected Varieties and publish it in the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property.

Other licence contracts may also be entered in the Register at the request of the interested party.

Article 37 Compulsory Licences

(1) The Office may grant a compulsory licence at the request of any interested party after the expiry of a period of five years from the date of grant of the variety patent when:

a) the holder does not exploit the protected variety and cannot justify his inaction;

b) the protected variety is a matter of public interest.

(2) A compulsory licence shall be non-exclusive and shall be granted on specific conditions regarding duration, the exploitation of the variety and the amount of compensation payable to the holder.

(3) The compulsory licence confers on the licencee the right to receive original propagating material from the holder.

(4) The grant of a compulsory licence does not prevent the patent holder from exploiting the variety or from granting licences to third parties.

(5) Compulsory licences shall be granted by the Office, acting though the Board of Appeal, and by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, acting through its representatives.

(6) Were it is ascertained that the licencee has failed to fulfil his obligation to exploit the variety in the manner specified, the compulsory licence may, at the holder’s request, be revoked by the Office, acting through the Board referred to in paragraph (5).

(7) Decisions of the Board of Appeal concerning the grant or withdrawal of compulsory licences shall be communicated to the parties within 15 days from pronouncement, and shall be subject to the appeals provided for in Article 38.

(8) The Office shall register the compulsory licence in the National Register of Protected Varieties and publish it in the Official Bulletin for Industrial Property.

CHAPTER IX PROTECTION OF RIGHTS IN NEW PLANT VARIETIES

Article 38 Appeals Against Decisions of the Office

(1) Decisions of the Office may be appealed against by interested parties before the Office within three

months from communication.

(2) The appeal or the request for revocation or cancellation of the variety patent, as the case may be, shall be considered by the Board of Appeal within three months of being filed. The composition of the Board shall be different from the composition of the Examination Board, being composed of representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and the Office.

(3) The finding of the Board of Appeal shall be communicated to the parties within 15 days of being pronounced, and may be challenged in the Court of Bucharest within 30 days of being communicated.

(4) The decision of the Court of Bucharest may be appealed before the Court of Appeal of Bucharest within 15 days of being communicated.

(5) The Office is obliged to submit to the Court, at its request, the necessary documents and information for judging the case referred to it.

Article 39 Competence of the Courts

Litigations seeking to deprive of his status the breeder, patent holder or holder of other rights derived from the variety patent, including economic rights under an assignment or licence contract, or litigation relating to failure to comply with provisions of Articles 33(1) and 34, shall be within the competence of the courts of law.

CHAPTER X OFFENCES AND PENALTIES

Section 1

Article 40 Infringement and Disclosure

(1) Any of the acts mentioned in Article 27 and any of the acts mentioned below, performed without the variety patent holder’s authorization shall be deemed infringement:

a) using a denomination, other than the registered denomination of the new variety, for propagating material produced and sold;

b) using the registered denomination of a new variety for propagating material produced and sold that does not belong to that variety;

c) giving a denomination to propagating material produced and sold that is so close to the denomination of the protected variety, that it may cause confusion;

d) selling propagating material with false indications that it belongs to a variety for which a variety patent has been granted, thereby misleading purchasers;

e) falsehood in the registration of a variety in the National Register of Protected Varieties;

f) drawing up false reports, and falsification of documentation required by this Law;

g) submitting documents containing false information.

(2) The acts specified in paragraph 1 shall constitute an offense punishable with imprisonment for a term of three months to three years or with a fine of 3 million to 15 million lei, which amount shall be updated by Government decision according to the rate of inflation. The attempted act shall likewise be punished.

(3) Disclosure of data and information constituting a trade secret concerning a new variety for which a variety patent has been applied for or granted shall be punished under criminal law.

(4) Where any of the offences provided for in paragraphs (1) and (3) is committed by a public official in the course of his duties, it shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of six months to five years.

(5) Criminal proceedings shall be initiated on a complaint by the injured party.

(6) The holder is entitled to claim damages under the provisions of ordinary legislation for prejudice caused to him, and the infringing goods shall be seized under the provisions of criminal law.

Section 2

Article 41 Actions for Infringement

(1) A legal action for infringement may only be initiated by the holder after publication of the grant of the variety patent.

(2) Where a licence has been granted and were not otherwise provided in the contract, the licencee may not sue for infringement without the consent of the holder.

(3) The holder of an exclusive licence may initiate a legal action for infringement, if the variety patent holder has been informed of the alleged infringement and has not take any action within a time limit requested by the licencee.

(4) Where a legal action for infringement has been brought by the variety patent holder, any of the licencees may intervene to demand that the prejudice caused by the infringement be made good.

CHAPTER XI PROVISIONAL MEASURES, EVIDENCE, FEES

Article 42 Provisional Measures, Evidence

(1) The holder may request the court:

a) to order provisional measures where there is a risk of infringement of the rights deriving from the variety patent and where such infringement is liable to cause irreparable prejudice, and also where there is a risk of evidence being destroyed;

b) to order, immediately on application, measures to put an end to the infringement of rights committed by a third party in connection with the introduction into commercial channels of imported

merchandise that would infringe those rights;

c) to order the seizure or destruction of propagating material referred to in Articles 40(1)(b) to (d).

(2) The cour t shall order the infringer of the rights under the variety patent to inform the holder of the identity of third parties who have taken part in production and distribution of the propagating material specified to in Article 40 (1) (b) to (d).

(3) The provisions of Articles 581 and 582 from the Code of Civil Procedure shall be applicable to the ordering of the measures referred to in paragraph (1).

(4) When provisional measures are ordered, the court may oblige the plaintiff to provide security, in an amount that it shall specify.

(5) The court may ask the plaintiff to supply any evidence available to prove that he is the holder of the rights infringed or the infringement of which is unavoidable.

(6) Where the evidence supporting the claims of the plaintiff is in the defendant's possession, the court may order the defendant to produce the evidence, provided that confidentiality of information is guaranteed, as provided by law.

(7) The court shall order the plaintiff to pay the defendant all damages arising from improper exercise of the procedural rights concerning the variety.

Article 43 Fees

(1) The fees for the procedures provided for in this Law shall be paid into the bank account of the Office, in the amounts and by the time limits specified in the Appendix which forms an integral part of this Law.

(2) Romanian applicants or holders, whether natural or legal persons, shall pay the fees in lei. Foreign natural and legal persons, who are applicants, or holders or to whom industrial property rights have been transferred, shall pay the fees in currency. Where there are two or more applicants or holders, the fees owed jointly, shall be paid in currency.

(3) Applicants for or holders of variety patents whose rights have not been transferred to them or who have transferred their rights as provided by law, before the time of payment, shall pay the fees specified in the Appendix, reduced by 50 per cent of each fee, if they are natural or legal persons or domestic research or education institutes.

(4) The reduction provided for in paragraph (3) shall be applicable to each procedure separately, on the date of payment, if the conditions specified in the said paragraph are satisfied and supporting documents are supplied.

(5) The fees for variety patent applications and variety patents payable for the procedure before the Office shall constitute income and shall be assigned to extra-budgetary items as provided by Law.

(6) From the fees paid to it, the Office shall pay the national or international technical authorities, as

the case may be, the amounts due for the conduct of growing tests.

Article 44 Competence

(1) Competence for the enforcement of this Law belong to the Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry.

(2) The Office, as a specialized body responsible to the Government and sole authority within the territory of Romania for the grant of industrial property protection, shall grant patents for the new varieties under this Law and in accordance with the international conventions to which Romania is a party, and shall have the following duties:

a) filing, publishing and examining applications for the grant of patents for the new varieties;

b) keeping the National Register of Variety Patent Applications and the National Register of Protected Varieties;

c) regularly issuing the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property, and specifically the section for variety patents, which contains information on variety patent applications, denominations of new varieties and proposals for denominations, and also new varieties for which variety patents have been granted;

d) ensuring the exchange of publications with similar foreign national administrations and specialized international organizations;

e) establishing, in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the characteristics to be specified in the technical questionnaire, in accordance with international guidelines for the protection of the new varieties;

f) certifying authorized agents for the procedures before the Office relating to the protection of the new varieties.

(3) The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, in exercising its prerogatives:

a) shall decide on the methodology for testing the new varieties from a technical point of view;

b) shall cooperate with the Office, with breeders’ associations, with the association of variety patent holders, with the association of producers of seed and propagating material, with the George Ionescu Sisesti Academy of Agricultural and Horticultural Science, and with specialized research institutes and testing stations in order to establish the characteristics involved in the protection of the new varieties;

c) shall designate the representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry on the Board of Appeal.

(4) The Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry shall entertain relations with similar governmental organizations and international organizations specialized in the protection of new varieties of plants, of which Romania is a member.

Article 45

Protection of the New Varieties Abroad

Romanian natural and legal persons shall have the right to choose the State in which they file their first application for the grant of a variety patent or a similar title of protection.

CHAPTER XII FINAL AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

Article 46

(1) Applications for variety patents filed with the Office under Patent Law no. 64/1991 and Government Decision no. 152/1992 approving Regulations implementing the Patent Law no. 64/1991 for which no decision has been taken to grant or refuse grant shall be settled in accordance with the provisions of this Law.

(2) This Law shall enter into force 90 days following the date of its publication in the Official Gazette of Romania.

(3) Within 90 days following the publication of this Law in the Official Gazette of Romania, the Government shall, on a proposal by the Office, approve the Regulations implementing this Law.

(4) On the entry into force of this Law, the provisions on the protection of plant varieties and hybrids laid down in Articles 7 it (3) and 11 of Patent Law no. 64/1991, the provisions on plant varieties and hybrids in Chapter III of Government Decision no. 152/1992 and any other contrary provisions shall be repealed.

ANNEX

APPENDIX

Crt . No.

Purpose Time of payment Amount in thousands of lei *)

Amount in $

1. Filing fee on filing application

140 20

2. Priority claim: a) on filing application

on date of filing application or within 3 months

350 50

b) within 3 months from filing application for variety patent

on date of claim 700 100

3. Examination fee for variety patent on plant grouping: for each year of examination

1

2 and 3

4

on date of examination request

910 130

on date of examination request

560 80

on date of examination request

350 50

4. Verification of the growing tests (on request)

5. Preliminary examination of variety denomination

6. Issue of variety patent

7. Examination of appeal at the time of lodging the appeal

350 50

8. Examination of request for revocation

an requesting revocation

1050 50

9. Examination of request for cancellation

on requesting cancellation 1050

50

10. Maintenance fee for variety patent

- from year 1 to year 5

at the end of each year of protection

1 38

2 35 0

3 315

4 28 0

5 28 0

1 55

2 50

3 45

4 40

5 40

- subsequent years, per year

at the end of each year of protection

77 70 0

630 56 0

56 0

110 100 90 80 80

Crt. Purpose Time of payment Amount in thousands of lei *

Amount in $

11. Examination of tion for revalidation of patent

on requesting ation

700 100

12. Purchase of international al report for a new variety

when State or Inventions and arks requests the

2450 350

13. Inspection of National r of Protected Variety

on request 350 50

14. Filing change in legal f patent application or patent:

a) assignment

b) licensing c) other change

on filing and ng Registration

idem idem

140

350 175

20

50 25

15. Issue of duplicates, certificates

on filing request e Office for ons and arks

70 10

Variety grouping: 1. Cereals and technical plants 2. Fodder plants 3. Fruit trees and shrubs, vines 4. Vegetables, flowers, ornamentals trees

*) Calculated at the official exchange rate of the National Bank of Romania on the date of payment.

[End of document]

___________________________________ ________________ __________ _______ _____ ___ __

LEGE nr. 255 din 30 decembrie 1998 privind protectia noilor soiuri de plante Parlamentul Romaniei adopta prezenta lege.

_

CAP. 1 Dispozitii generale

ART. 1 Obiectul protectiei

Drepturile amelioratorului asupra noilor soiuri de plante din toate genurile si speciile sunt recunoscute si aparate pe teritoriul Romaniei prin eliberarea unui brevet de soi de catre Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, in conditiile prevazute de prezenta lege.

ART. 2 Definitii

In intelesul prezentei legi, termenii si expresiile de mai jos semnifica, dupa cum urmeaza:

a) soi - grup de plante apartinand unui taxon botanic de cel mai jos rang cunoscut, care poate fi:

1. definit prin expresia caracterelor rezultand dintr-un anumit genotip sau dintr-o anumita combinatie de genotipuri; 2. distinct fata de orice alt grup de plante prin expresia a cel putin unuia dintre caracterele mentionate la pct. 1; 3. considerat ca o entitate, cu privire la capacitatea sa de a fi reprodus ca atare.

Este considerat soi si hibridul cu formele parentale;

b) soi protejat - soi cultivat pentru care a fost acordat un brevet de soi de catre Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci; c) material de inmultire - seminte, plante intregi sau diferite parti de plante, care au capacitatea sa reproduca plante intregi; d) ameliorator este:

1. persoana care a creat sau a descoperit si dezvoltat un nou soi; 2. persoana care a angajat persoana prevazuta la pct. 1 sau care i-a comandat acesteia activitatea de creare ori de descoperire de noi soiuri, cand legea aplicabila in cauza sau contractul prevede ca dreptul de ameliorator apartine celui dintai; 3. succesorul in drepturi al persoanei prevazute la pct. 1 sau pct. 2, dupa caz; e) solicitant - persoana care a inregistrat la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci protectia prin brevet a unui nou soi; f) titular al brevetului de soi - persoana care detine brevetul de soi; g) oficiu - Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci;

h) teste de crestere - experientele organizate in vegetatie pentru determinarea distinctivitatii, omogenitatii si stabilitatii noului soi fata de un soi-martor.

ART. 3 Tratamentul national

De dispozitiile prezentei legi beneficiaza si persoanele fizice sau juridice straine cu domiciliul, respectiv cu sediul in afara teritoriului Romaniei, in conditiile conventiilor internationale privind protectia noilor soiuri, la care Romania este parte.

ART. 4 Reprezentare

Persoanele fizice si juridice care solicita protectia pentru un nou soi pot fi reprezentate in procedurile privind protectia de noi soiuri, in fata Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, de catre un mandatar autorizat, cu domiciliul, respectiv cu sediul in Romania. Pentru persoanele straine reprezentarea prin mandatar autorizat este obligatorie.

CAP. 2 Brevetabilitatea noilor soiuri de plante

ART. 5 Conditii pentru acordarea protectiei

Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci acorda protectie pentru un nou soi de planta si elibereaza brevetul de soi, daca acesta este: a) nou; b) distinct; c) omogen; d) stabil; e) poarta o denumire in conformitate cu prevederile art. 15.

ART. 6 Noutatea

(1) Soiul este nou, daca la data inregistrarii cererii de brevet de soi sau la data invocarii prioritatii materialul de inmultire sau recoltat nu a fost vandut si nici nu a fost pus, printr-un alt mod, la dispozitie tertilor de catre ameliorator sau cu acordul acestuia, in scopul exploatarii comerciale a noului soi:

a) pe teritoriul Romaniei, cu mai mult de un an inaintea depunerii cererii de brevet de soi; b) pe teritoriul altor state, cu mai mult de 6 ani inaintea depunerii cererii de brevet de soi pentru pomi fructiferi, vita de vie si arbori ornamentali si cu mai mult de 4 ani pentru celelalte specii. (2) De asemenea, nu isi pierde noutatea soiul care: a) face obiectul unui contract de transmitere de drepturi, daca anterior inregistrarii cererii nu a avut loc exploatarea comerciala a noului soi; b) face obiectul unui acord intre ameliorator si o alta persoana, in virtutea caruia amelioratorul autorizeaza producerea materialului de inmultire sub controlul sau;

c) face obiectul unui acord al amelioratorului cu un tert privind efectuarea unui studiu sau experiment in plin camp sau in laborator ori a unor experimentari pe un esantion mic de plante in vederea evaluarii noului soi; d) a fost pus la dispozitie unui tert, sub forma de material de inmultire sau ca material recoltat, ca urmare a folosirii in scopurile specificate la art. 29, si care nu este folosit pentru inmultiri ulterioare, aceste acte nefiind considerate ca exploatare comerciala a noului soi, in sensul prevederilor art. 29; e) a fost pus la dispozitie, ca urmare a faptului ca amelioratorul a expus soiul intr-o expozitie recunoscuta oficial; f) a fost pus la dispozitie unui organism oficial, in cadrul unei obligatii legale sau pe baza de contract, in vederea producerii, reproducerii, multiplicarii, conditionarii sau a depozitarii, fara ca persoana care a solicitat protectia sa isi piarda dreptul exclusiv de exploatare a soiului, cu conditia ca nici o alta punere la dispozitie in scop comercial sa nu fi fost facuta anterior; daca o astfel de punere la dispozitie a soiului a fost utilizata pentru producerea unui hibrid si acesta a fost comercializat, se aplica prevederile alin. (1); g) a fost pus la dispozitie de o unitate sau de o firma unei alte unitati sau unei firme careia ii este subordonata sau daca amandoua unitatile sau firmele apartin in intregime unei terte unitati sau firme, cu conditia sa nu fi avut loc o alta punere la dispozitie.

ART. 7 Distinctivitatea

(1) Soiul este distinct, daca se deosebeste clar, prin unul sau mai multe caractere relevante care rezulta dintr-un anumit genotip sau dintr-o combinatie de genotipuri, de orice alt soi a carui existenta este notoriu cunoscuta la data depunerii cererii de brevet de soi la Oficiul se Stat pentru Inventii si Marci sau, dupa caz, la data de prioritate invocata.

(2) Caracterele care definesc si determina distinctivitatea unui nou soi pot fi de natura morfologica sau fiziologica, cu conditia ca aceste caractere sa poata fi recunoscute si descrise.

(3) Este considerat notoriu cunoscut la data depunerii cererii de brevet de soi in special acel soi care a facut obiectul unui titlu de protectie, al unei cereri depuse pentru acordarea unui brevet de soi sau al unei alte forme de protectie similara sau care este inregistrat intr-un registru oficial de soiuri din orice tara, cu conditia ca cererea sa conduca la acordarea protectiei solicitate pentru acel soi.

ART. 8 Omogenitatea

Soiul este omogen, daca, supus variatiilor previzibile pe parcursul ciclului de inmultire, plantele raman suficient de uniforme in caracterele relevante, inclusiv in examinarea distinctivitatii soiului, ca si in orice alte caractere folosite pentru descrierea soiului.

ART. 9 Stabilitatea

Soiul este stabil, daca, dupa inmultiri repetate sau in cazuri speciale, la sfarsitul fiecarui ciclu de inmultire, caracterele relevante pentru stabilirea distinctivitatii sau oricare alte caractere folosite pentru descrierea soiului raman neschimbate.

CAP. 3 Dreptul la protectie

ART. 10 Dreptul la eliberarea brevetului de soi

(1) Dreptul la eliberarea brevetului de soi apartine amelioratorului. In cazul in care acest drept a fost transmis in conditiile art. 35, dreptul apartine persoanei careia i s-a transmis acest drept. (2) Daca mai multi amelioratori au creat in comun un nou soi, dreptul la eliberarea brevetului de soi apartine in comun acestora. (3) Dreptul la eliberarea brevetului de soi poate apartine in comun amelioratorului si oricarei alte persoane, daca amelioratorul si cealalta persoana declara in scris ca sunt de acord sa detina in comun dreptul asupra brevetului de soi. (4) Amelioratorul care a creat un nou soi in timpul serviciului este indreptatit, daca nu este altfel prevazut in contractul sau individual de munca, sa i se recunoasca dreptul de ameliorator si sa primeasca o remuneratie echitabila. (5) La stabilirea cuantumului remuneratiei se vor avea in vedere valoarea economica a soiului, precum si veniturile unitatii care ar putea fi obtinute din exploatarea soiului, estimate pe toata durata de valabilitate a brevetului de soi. Marimea remuneratiei se stabileste printr-un contract incheiat intre ameliorator/amelioratori si unitate, iar in lipsa acordului dintre parti, de instanta judecatoreasca. (6) In cazul in care printr-o hotarare judecatoreasca se constata ca o persoana, alta decat cea mentionata in brevetul de soi, este indreptatita la eliberare, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci elibereaza brevetul de soi persoanei indreptatite si publica schimbarea in Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala.

CAP. 4 Procedura de examinare a cererii de eliberare a brevetului de soi

ART. 11 Depunerea cererii de brevet de soi

Cererea de brevet de soi se depune la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci de orice persoana fizica sau juridica care are dreptul la eliberarea brevetului de soi, conform art. 10, sau de reprezentantul acesteia, in conditiile prevazute de lege.

ART. 12 Continutul cererii de brevet de soi

(1) Cererea de brevet de soi trebuie sa contina:

a) solicitarea eliberarii unui brevet de soi si datele de identificare a solicitantului sau, daca este cazul, a solicitantilor; b) propunerea privind denumirea noului soi; c) precizarea taxonului botanic, denumirea in limba latina si denumirea populara; d) chestionarul tehnic in care noul soi este prezentat intr-o forma standardizata;

e) invocarea prioritatii, decurgand dintr-o prima cerere depusa intr-un alt stat, daca este cazul.

(2) Cererea de brevet de soi va fi insotita de: a) dovada de plata a taxei de inregistrare a cererii; b) documentele care confirma prioritatea, in cazul in care aceasta este revendicata; c) procura, in cazul in care solicitantul este reprezentat de un mandatar autorizat; d) o declaratie a solicitantului pe propria raspundere, din care sa rezulte ca soiul pentru care se solicita protectia nu a fost exploatat comercial, in conformitate cu prevederile art. 6; e) numele amelioratorului/amelioratorilor si o declaratie din partea solicitantului, potrivit careia, dupa propria sa cunostinta, nici o alta persoana nu a mai fost implicata in ameliorarea sau in descoperirea si dezvoltarea noului soi; f) actul de cesiune a dreptului la eliberarea brevetului de soi, daca solicitantul nu este aceeasi persoana cu amelioratorul; g) orice alte documente si informatii, care pot da indicatii despre provenienta si testarea noului soi sau despre o prima cerere de brevet de soi depusa intr-o alta tara; h) originea geografica a soiului. (3) Cererea de brevet de soi trebuie sa se refere numai la un singur soi. (4) Intreaga documentatie trebuie prezentata in limba romana.

ART. 13 Data depozitului reglementar al cererii de brevet de soi

(1) Data depozitului reglementar al cererii de brevet de soi este data inregistrarii cererii la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, continand cel putin elementele cuprinse la art. 12 alin. (1) lit. a)-d), insotita de dovada platii taxei de inregistrare a cererii. (2) Data depozitului reglementar al cererii de brevet de soi este cea stabilita la alin. (1) si in cazul in care, pentru motive justificate, solicitantii, persoane fizice sau juridice straine, au depus documentatia intr-o limba straina, cu conditia ca in termen de 3 luni de la inregistrarea cererii de brevet de soi sa depuna o traducere in limba romana a documentatiei.

ART. 14 Dreptul de prioritate

(1) Depozitul cererii de brevet de soi asigura un drept de prioritate, cu incepere de la data constituirii acestuia, fata de orice alt depozit efectuat ulterior pentru un soi care nu se poate distinge clar de acest soi, conform art. 7.

(2) Orice persoana care a depus anterior o prima cerere intr-un stat membru al unei conventii internationale in domeniul protectiei noilor soiuri, la care Romania este parte, beneficiaza de un drept de prioritate de 12 luni de la data depunerii primei cereri, daca solicita in acest termen la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci eliberarea unui brevet pentru acelasi soi, cu conditia ca prima cerere sa existe la data invocarii prioritatii.

(3) Pentru dovedirea prioritatii din alt stat, solicitantul trebuie sa prezinte la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, intr-un interval de 3 luni de la depunerea cererii, o copie autentificata de pe documentele primei cereri, precum si materialul de inmultire sau alte documente din care sa rezulte ca soiul este identic pentru ambele cereri.

(4) Recunoasterea prioritatii solicitate conform alin. (3) se face sub conditia achitarii taxei de prioritate prevazute de lege.

(5) Nerespectarea termenului prevazut la alin. (2) sau neplata taxei de prioritate atrage nerecunoasterea prioritatii invocate.

(6) Actele savarsite in intervalul prevazut la alin. (2), cum ar fi depunerea altei cereri, publicarea sau folosirea soiului care constituie obiectul primei cereri, nu constituie un motiv de respingere a cererii ulterioare si nici nu dau nastere la drepturi pentru terti.

ART. 15 Denumirea soiului

(1) Soiul va purta o denumire generica pentru a permite identificarea acestuia.

(2) Denumirea soiului se mentioneaza in brevetul eliberat si va fi folosita si dupa expirarea duratei de valabilitate a brevetului de soi.

(3) Denumirea soiului trebuie sa fie diferita de orice denumire care desemneaza un alt soi existent, apartinand aceleiasi specii de plante sau unei specii inrudite indeaproape cu aceasta.

(4) Denumirea soiului nu trebuie sa fie compusa numai din cifre, cu exceptia cazurilor cand aceasta practica este recunoscuta pentru desemnarea anumitor soiuri.

(5) Denumirea soiului nu trebuie sa induca in eroare sau sa dea nastere la confuzii cu privire la caracterele soiului, la valoarea sau la identitatea acestuia sau a amelioratorului.

(6) Daca o cerere de eliberare a unui brevet de soi este depusa in acelasi timp in Romania si in alte tari, soiul trebuie sa fie inregistrat cu aceeasi denumire in toate tarile in care s-a depus o astfel de cerere, cu exceptia cazului cand denumirea este apreciata de Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci ca nepotrivita.

(7) Daca, in virtutea unui drept obtinut anterior, o denumire este folosita pentru un alt soi sau poate crea confuzie in utilizarea denumirii altui soi, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci va cere solicitantului sa stabileasca o alta denumire pentru soiul sau.

(8) In vederea stabilirii unei denumiri corecte, solicitantul poate cere la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, cu plata taxei de examinare prealabile, efectuarea unei cercetari documentare privind denumirea soiului.

(9) Orice persoana care ofera, spre vanzare sau comercializare, material de inmultire apartinand soiului protejat este obligata sa foloseasca denumirea acestui soi, chiar dupa expirarea termenului de valabilitate a protectiei soiului.

(10) In cazul in care soiul protejat este oferit spre vanzare sau este comercializat, pe soiul protejat se poate aplica o marca de produs sau un alt semn distinctiv, care sa permita identificarea soiului pe piata.

(11) Denumirea soiului se inregistreaza in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate o data cu eliberarea brevetului de soi.

(12) In cazul in care cel putin una dintre conditiile prevazute la alin. (1)-(9) nu este indeplinita, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci poate hotari radierea denumirii inregistrate.

ART. 16 Examinarea formala a cererii de brevet de soi

(1) In termen de doua luni de la depunerea cererii de brevet de soi pentru un nou soi, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci examineaza documentatia depusa de solicitant, sub aspectul regularitatii formale, respectiv al indeplinirii conditiilor prevazute la art. 10 alin. (1)-(4) si la art. 12.

(2) Daca in urma examinarii formale se constata ca cererea indeplineste conditiile prevazute la alin. (1), aceasta se inregistreaza in Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri. Inscrierea in Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri se notifica solicitantului.

(3) Cererile de brevet de soi pentru noile soiuri inregistrate la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci se publica, in termen de 3 luni de la data inregistrarii, in Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala, sectiunea Soiuri protejate prin brevete.

(4) In cazul in care cererea de brevet de soi nu indeplineste una dintre conditiile prevazute la art. 10 si 12, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci hotaraste, in cadrul unei comisii de examinare, respingerea cererii.

ART. 17 Examinarea in fond a cererii de brevet de soi

(1) Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci va examina in fond, in termen de 9 luni de la data inregistrarii cererii, documentatia cererii de brevet de soi privind noutatea si denumirea soiului, in conformitate cu prevederile art. 6, 15 si 16.

(2) Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci notifica solicitantului sau succesorului sau in drepturi rezultatul examinarii in fond a cererii; in cazul unui rezultat negativ, se acorda un termen de maximum 3 luni pentru raspuns.

(3) Pentru motive justificate, solicitantul poate cere prelungirea cu doua luni a termenului de raspuns acordat de Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci.

(4) Daca in urma examinarii in fond Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci hotaraste, in cadrul comisiei de examinare, ca cererea indeplineste conditiile prevazute la art. 6, 10, 12 si 16, aceasta va fi supusa examinarii tehnice de catre autoritatea nationala competenta, careia Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci ii va transmite documentatia in termen de o luna de la luarea hotararii.

(5) Daca cererea nu indeplineste conditiile prevazute la art. 6, 10, 12 si 16, iar solicitantul nu raspunde in termen notificarii Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci si nici nu cere o prelungire a termenului de raspuns, oficiul respinge cererea.

ART. 18 Examinarea tehnica a noului soi

(1) Soiul va fi supus unei examinari tehnice pentru a se stabili:

a) daca soiul apartine taxonului botanic declarat; b) indeplinirea conditiilor de distinctivitate, omogenitate si stabilitate, prevazute la art. 7-9; c) descrierea oficiala a soiului. (2) Examinarea tehnica a noului soi va fi efectuata de catre o autoritate nationala competenta, daca solicitantul nu prezinta la inregistrarea cererii la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci teste de crestere efectuate de o alta autoritate competenta, recunoscuta international. (3) In cazul in care testele de crestere pentru un nou soi nu au fost efectuate de autoritatea nationala sau de o autoritate recunoscuta international, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci poate lua in considerare raportul tehnic efectuat de o alta autoritate competenta, cu acordul solicitantului, cumparat sub conditia platii taxei prevazute de lege. (4) Autoritatea nationala competenta sau unitatea delegata pentru testare efectueaza lucrarile necesare verificarii indeplinirii prevederilor art. 7-9. Solicitantul va pune la dispozitie executantului testelor materialul de inmultire in cantitatea ceruta si va notifica Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci data transmiterii materialului de inmultire. (5) In termen de 2 ani de la initierea testelor de crestere, autoritatea nationala competenta, pe baza rezultatelor obtinute, intocmeste un raport care trebuie sa contina rezultatele testarilor, caracterele morfologice si fiziologice ale soiului testat in comparatie cu soiul-martor si concluziile cu privire la indeplinirea prevederilor art. 7-9. (6) Daca testele sunt efectuate de o autoritate competenta straina sau de catre ameliorator, acestea pot fi supuse unei analize de catre autoritatea nationala. Confirmarea valabilitatii testelor se face printr-o notificare, transmisa la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci in termen de 6 luni de la primirea documentatiei. Respingerea valabilitatii testelor se va face in scris si motivat de catre autoritatea nationala. (7) Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci respinge cererea de brevet de soi, daca valabilitatea testelor este infirmata de catre autoritatea nationala. (8) Hotararea Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci poate fi contestata de solicitant la comisia de reexaminare din cadrul oficiului in termen de 3 luni de la comunicare. (9) Comisia de reexaminare poate hotari: a) admiterea contestatiei solicitantului, dispunand acordarea brevetului de soi; b) admiterea contestatiei solicitantului, dispunand retransmiterea cererii pentru examinarea de fond si, dupa caz, refacerea testelor; c) respingerea contestatiei solicitantului.

ART. 19 Testarea noului soi

(1) In vederea testarii noului soi, autoritatea nationala poate sa organizeze teste de crestere proprii sau se poate baza pe testele efectuate de solicitant. (2) Testele de crestere se organizeaza in conformitate cu metodologia aprobata de Ministerul Agriculturii si Alimentatiei si de Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, pe baza normelor internationale privind testarea noilor soiuri. (3) Dupa primirea documentatiei si efectuarea examinarii formale, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci stabileste, impreuna cu autoritatea nationala, locul si cantitatea de material necesara organizarii experientelor si le notifica solicitantului, invitandu-l sa transmita materialul de inmultire solicitat. Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci si autoritatea nationala pot cere solicitantului sa transmita toate informatiile, documentele si materialele necesare pentru desfasurarea examinarii tehnice in bune

conditii. (4) Daca in intervalul acordat informatiile, documentele si materialele cerute nu au fost transmise, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci respinge cererea de brevet de soi. (5) Solicitantul are dreptul ca, pe perioada de testare a noului soi, sa ceara vizitarea culturilor.

ART. 20 Hotararile Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci

(1) Pe baza raportului tehnic al autoritatii nationale sau al unei autoritati recunoscute international, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci stabileste daca noul soi indeplineste conditiile prevazute la art. 7-9 si la art. 16 si, dupa caz, acorda brevet de soi sau respinge cererea de brevet de soi. (2) O hotarare de respingere poate fi luata de Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci numai dupa ce solicitantului i-au fost notificate motivele respingerii si dupa ce i-a fost acordat un termen de cel putin 3 luni pentru raspuns. (3) Hotararile de acordare a brevetelor de soi, la care se anexeaza descrierea soiului protejat, se publica in Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala in termen de 3 luni de la luarea hotararii. (4) Pe baza evolutiei cunostintelor agrobiologice si a metodologiei de descriere a soiului, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci sau solicitantul poate, dupa o consultare reciproca, sa adapteze descrierea oficiala a soiului protejat in cursul duratei de valabilitate a brevetului, fara modificarea intinderii protectiei acordate si a caracteristicilor noului soi. Adaptarile aduse descrierii oficiale se publica in Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala. (5) Hotararile luate de Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci pot fi contestate, motivat, de catre solicitant la comisia de reexaminare din cadrul Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, potrivit prevederilor art. 38 alin. (1).

ART. 21 Protectia provizorie

(1) Pe perioada de la data publicarii cererii de brevet de soi, conform art. 16 alin. (3), pana la data eliberarii brevetului de soi, solicitantul beneficiaza provizoriu de aceleasi drepturi conferite titularului de brevet, prevazute la art. 27.

(2) Incalcarea drepturilor prevazute la alin. (1) de catre terti atrage, pentru persoanele vinovate, obligatia de despagubire, potrivit dreptului comun, titlul pentru plata despagubirilor fiind executoriu dupa eliberarea brevetului de soi.

(3) Persoanele care in perioada de protectie provizorie savarsesc, fara autorizatia titularului, actele prevazute la art. 27 poarta raspunderea conform art. 40 alin. (2).

(4) In cazul in care cererea de brevet de soi a fost respinsa, solicitantul nu beneficiaza de drepturile prevazute la alin. (1).

ART. 22 Prelungirea termenului limita

Termenele privind examinarea cererii de brevet de soi, precum si pentru verificarea testelor de crestere a plantelor pot fi prelungite cu un an, cu plata taxelor prevazute la nr. crt. 3 si 4 din anexa.

ART. 23 Retragerea cererii de brevet de soi

Cererea de brevet de soi poate fi retrasa in orice moment, pana la luarea hotararii de eliberare a brevetului de soi, printr-o notificare depusa de catre solicitant la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci.

ART. 24 Revocarea hotararii de acordare a brevetului de soi

(1) Orice persoana interesata poate cere Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, in termen de 3 luni de la publicare, revocarea hotararii de acordare a brevetului de soi, daca nu este indeplinita cel putin una dintre conditiile prevazute la art. 6-10 si la art. 15; cererea se face in scris si trebuie motivata.

(2) Cererea de revocare va fi examinata de catre comisia de reexaminare in termen de 3 luni de la depunerea ei la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci.

(3) Daca considera necesar, comisia de reexaminare poate solicita autoritatii nationale sa repete testele de crestere pentru soiul in cauza sau sa foloseasca serviciile unui specialist care sa participe la reexaminarea noului soi.

(4) Hotararea comisiei de reexaminare se comunica partilor in termen de 15 zile de la pronuntare.

(5) Hotararea comisiei de reexaminare poate fi supusa cailor de atac prevazute la art. 38.

(6) Hotararile ramase definitive se publica in Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala in termen de 30 de zile.

ART. 25 Eliberarea brevetului de soi si inregistrarea denumirii soiului

(1) Brevetul de soi este eliberat de catre directorul general al Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, in temeiul hotararii de acordare a brevetului de soi.

(2) Brevetul de soi si denumirea soiului se inscriu in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate, care este public si poate fi consultat de terti, cu plata taxei de inspectare prevazute de lege.

(3) In cazul cererii depuse de mai multi solicitanti, brevetul de soi se elibereaza primului solicitant mentionat in cerere, iar celorlalti li se elibereaza cate un duplicat al brevetului de soi.

(4) Amelioratorul, in cazul in care nu este titularul brevetului, este indreptatit sa primeasca, la cerere, o copie de pe brevetul de soi eliberat.

CAP. 5 Protectia soiului

ART. 26 Durata protectiei soiului

(1) Durata protectiei soiului este de 25 de ani; termenul curge de la data eliberarii brevetului de soi.

(2) Pentru soiurile noi de pomi fructiferi, vita de vie si arbori ornamentali durata protectiei este de 30 de ani; termenul curge de la data eliberarii brevetului de soi.

CAP. 6 Drepturile titularului

ART. 27 Dreptul exclusiv al titularului de brevet de soi

(1) Titularul brevetului de soi beneficiaza de dreptul exclusiv de exploatare a noului soi si de dreptul de a interzice oricarei persoane sa efectueze, fara autorizatia sa, urmatoarele acte privind materialul de inmultire si materialul recoltat din soiul protejat:

a) producerea sau reproducerea;

b) conditionarea in scopul inmultirii;

c) oferirea spre vanzare;

d) vanzarea sau orice alta forma de comercializare;

e) importul;

f) exportul;

g) depozitarea pentru unul din scopurile mentionate la lit. a)-f).

(2) Prevederile alin. (1) se aplica si pentru soiurile care:

a) sunt esentialmente derivate din soiul protejat, in cazul in care soiul protejat nu este el insusi derivat;

b) nu se disting in mod clar de soiul protejat, in conformitate cu prevederile art. 7;

c) pentru a fi produse, este necesara folosirea repetata a soiului protejat.

(3) In sensul prevederilor alin. (2) lit. a), un soi este considerat esentialmente derivat din altul, daca:

a) este predominant derivat din soiul initial sau dintr-un soi care, la randul sau, este predominant derivat din soiul initial;

b) este distinct, in conformitate cu art. 7, de soiul initial din care a derivat;

c) este in esenta identic cu soiul initial in expresia caracterelor care rezulta din genotipul sau din combinatia de genotipuri ale acestuia, cu exceptia deosebirilor care rezulta din derivare.

ART. 28 Exceptii de la dreptul exclusiv al titularului de brevet de soi

(1) Drepturile titularului de brevet de soi, prevazute la art. 27, nu se extind asupra urmatoarelor acte:

a) folosirea soiului in scop personal si in scopuri necomerciale;

b) folosirea soiului in scopuri experimentale, precum si in procesul de ameliorare, ca material initial pentru obtinerea altor soiuri.

(2) Persoanele care folosesc soiul protejat in scopurile prevazute la alin. (1) sunt obligate sa furnizeze titularului de brevet de soi informatiile cerute de catre acesta.

ART. 29 Epuizarea dreptului titularului de brevet de soi

Dreptul titularului de brevet de soi nu se extinde asupra actelor referitoare la materialul de inmultire si la materialul recoltat din soiul protejat sau dintr-un soi la care se refera art. 27 alin. (2) si nici asupra celor referitoare la oricare parte de planta din soiul protejat sau la oricare material derivat din acest soi care a fost vandut sau a fost comercializat de catre titular ori cu consimtamantul acestuia, decat daca astfel de acte implica:

a) inmultirea soiului protejat; b) exportul de material din soiul protejat intr-o tara terta care nu protejeaza soiurile de plante din genurile sau speciile carora le apartine soiul protejat, cu exceptia cazului cand materialul exportat este destinat consumului alimentar.

CAP. 7 Incetarea efectelor brevetului de soi

ART. 30 Anularea brevetului de soi

(1) Persoana interesata poate solicita Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, oricand pe durata protectiei soiului, anularea brevetului de soi. (2) Comisia de reexaminare va anula brevetul de soi, daca constata una dintre situatiile urmatoare: a) soiul nu era nou, in sensul art. 6, sau distinct, in sensul art. 7, la data depunerii cererii sau, daca este cazul, la data invocarii prioritatii; b) acordarea brevetului de soi s-a bazat pe experimentarile desfasurate, pe informatiile si pe documentele furnizate de ameliorator si soiul nu a fost omogen potrivit art. 8, sau stabilit conform art. 9, la data acordarii brevetului de soi; c) persoana careia i s-a eliberat brevetul de soi nu era indreptatita la aceasta, cu exceptia cazului cand a avut loc o transmitere a dreptului catre persoana indreptatita. (3) Hotararea comisiei de reexaminare se comunica partilor in termen de 15 zile de la pronuntare si poate fi supusa cailor de atac prevazute la art. 38. (4) Hotararea de anulare a brevetului de soi, ramasa definitiva, se inscrie in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate si se publica in Buletinul Oficial pentru Proprietate Industriala, sectiunea Soiuri protejate prin brevete. (5) Hotararea de anulare a brevetului de soi produce efecte de la data depunerii la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci a cererii de brevet de soi.

ART. 31 Decaderea din drepturi a titularului de brevet de soi

(1) Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci decade titularul de brevet de soi din drepturile decurgand din acesta, atunci cand constata una dintre urmatoarele situatii:

a) titularul de brevet de soi nu isi indeplineste obligatia de mentinere a soiului protejat, prevazuta la art. 33 alin. (1); b) titularul de brevet de soi nu da curs cererii Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci sau a autoritatii nationale de a furniza informatii sau material, in scopul verificarii soiului protejat pe parcursul perioadei de valabilitate a brevetului de soi; c) titularul de brevet de soi nu propune, in termenul acordat, o denumire adecvata pentru soi, atunci cand Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci solicita schimbarea denumirii soiului, deoarece aceasta nu mai satisface conditiile prevazute la art. 15; d) titularul de brevet de soi nu plateste taxele de mentinere in vigoare a brevetului de soi.

(2) Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci nu va proceda la decaderea titularului de brevet de soi din drepturi inainte de a-i notifica neindeplinirea uneia dintre obligatiile prevazute la alin. (1) lit. a)-c). Decaderea titularului de brevet de soi din drepturi se publica in Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala si produce efecte de la data inscrierii in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate.

(3) Titularul de brevet de soi poate cere la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci revalidarea brevetului de soi pentru motive justificate, in termen de 6 luni de la data publicarii decaderii.

(4) Hotararea comisiei de reexaminare privind cererea de revalidare a brevetului de soi se comunica partilor in termen de 15 zile de la pronuntare si poate fi supusa cailor de atac prevazute la art. 38. Revalidarea brevetului se publica in Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala.

(5) Nu constituie o incalcare a drepturilor prevazute la art. 25 si 27 exploatarea soiului de catre terti in intervalul cuprins intre decaderea din drepturi a titularului de brevet de soi si revalidarea brevetului.

ART. 32 Renuntarea la brevetul de soi

(1) Titularul de brevet de soi poate renunta oricand, pe durata protectiei soiului, la brevetul de soi, pe baza unei declaratii scrise, depusa la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci. (2) Titularul brevetului de soi este obligat sa comunice amelioratorului intentia sa de renuntare. La cererea amelioratorului, titularul este obligat sa-i transmita acestuia dreptul asupra brevetului inainte de depunerea declaratiei scrise de renuntare. (3) Renuntarea la brevetul de soi produce efecte de la data inregistrarii ei la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci. Renuntarea se inscrie in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate si se publica in Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala. (4) Daca brevetul de soi a facut obiectul unui contract de licenta, renuntarea este posibila numai cu acordul beneficiarului licentei.

CAP. 8 Exploatarea soiului protejat

ART. 33 Mentinerea soiului protejat

(1) Titularul de brevet de soi este obligat ca, pe toata durata de valabilitate a brevetului de soi, sa mentina soiul, astfel incat acesta sa-si pastreze toate caracterele prezentate in descrierea oficiala la data eliberarii brevetului de soi. (2) Pentru verificarea distinctivitatii, omogenitatii si a stabilitatii noului soi, autoritatea nationala poate cere titularului de brevet de soi sa furnizeze seminte, material de inmultire, documente sau orice alte informatii necesare verificarii. (3) Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci poate cere titularului de brevet de soi, pe toata durata de valabilitate a brevetului, informatii si documente din care sa rezulte existenta soiului si mentinerea caracteristicilor acestuia. (4) Daca nu da curs cererii adresate de Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, titularul de brevet de soi este decazut din drepturile conferite de brevetul de soi, conform art. 31 alin. (1) lit. a).

ART. 34 Transmiterea drepturilor asupra soiului

(1) Dreptul la eliberarea brevetului de soi, dreptul asupra brevetului de soi, drepturile ce decurg din inregistrarea cererii de brevet de soi la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, precum si drepturile nascute din brevetul de soi pot fi transmise altor persoane fizice sau juridice. (2) Transmiterea drepturilor se efectueaza printr-un contract de cesiune, printr-un contract de licenta sau prin succesiune legala ori testamentara. (3) Drepturile asupra unui nou soi se transmit si in cazul urmaririi silite a titularului de brevet de soi, in conditiile legii. (4) Transmiterea drepturilor nu afecteaza drepturile dobandite de terti inainte de data transmiterii. (5) Cesiunea sau licenta exclusiva se inscrie, dupa caz, in Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri sau in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate si devine opozabila tertilor de la data inscrierii.

ART. 35 Contractul de cesiune

Soiul pentru care s-a depus cerere de brevet sau pentru care s-a acordat un brevet poate constitui obiectul unui contract de cesiune.

ART. 36 Contractul de licenta

(1) Un soi pentru care s-a eliberat un brevet poate constitui obiectul unui contract de licenta. (2) In cazul licentei exclusive, licentiatul beneficiaza de dreptul exclusiv de exploatare a noului soi, in limitele prevazute in contractul de licenta. (3) Atunci cand se acorda licenta neexclusiva, titularul de brevet de soi isi pastreaza dreptul de a acorda licenta si altor persoane. Licentiatul nu are dreptul sa acorde tertilor un drept de exploatare a soiului pentru care a primit licenta. (4) Titularul de brevet de soi poate publica in Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala oferta sa de a acorda o licenta de exploatare a soiului protejat. (5) Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci va inregistra contractul de licenta exclusiva in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate si il va publica in Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala. La solicitarea persoanei interesate, se pot inregistra si celelalte contracte de licenta.

ART. 37 Licenta obligatorie

(1) La cererea oricarei persoane interesate, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci poate acorda o licenta obligatorie la expirarea unui termen de 5 ani de la data eliberarii brevetului de soi, daca:

a) titularul de brevet de soi nu exploateaza soiul protejat sau nu isi poate justifica inactiunea; b) soiul protejat prezinta un interes public.

(2) Licenta obligatorie este neexclusiva si este acordata in conditii determinate in ceea ce priveste durata, exploatarea soiului si nivelul drepturilor banesti cuvenite titularului de brevet de soi.

(3) Licenta obligatorie confera beneficiarului acesteia dreptul de a primi de la titularul de brevet de soi materialul de inmultire original.

(4) Acordarea unei licente obligatorii nu impiedica titularul de brevet de soi sa exploateze soiul sau sa acorde licente de exploatare unor terti.

(5) Licenta obligatorie se acorda de catre Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci prin comisia de reexaminare, din a carei componenta vor face parte si reprezentanti ai Ministerului Agriculturii si Alimentatiei.

(6) In cazul constatarii neindeplinirii de catre beneficiarul licentei a obligatiei de exploatare a soiului, in conditiile stabilite, licenta obligatorie poate fi retrasa, la cererea titularului de brevet de soi, de catre Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, prin comisia prevazuta la alin. (5).

(7) Hotararile comisiei de reexaminare privind acordarea sau retragerea licentei obligatorii se comunica partilor in termen de 15 zile de la pronuntare si sunt supuse cailor de atac prevazute la art. 38.

(8) Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci inregistreaza licenta obligatorie in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate si o publica in Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala.

CAP. 9 Apararea drepturilor privind noile soiuri de plante

ART. 38 Caile de atac impotriva hotararilor Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci

(1) Hotararile Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci pot fi contestate la oficiu de catre persoanele interesate in termen de 3 luni de la comunicare.

(2) Contestatia sau, dupa caz, cererea de revocare sau de anulare a brevetului de soi va fi examinata, in termen de 3 luni de la inregistrarea acesteia, de catre comisia de reexaminare. Componenta acestei comisii va fi alta decat cea a comisiei de examinare si va fi formata din reprezentanti ai Ministerului Agriculturii si Alimentatiei si ai Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci.

(3) Hotararea comisiei de reexaminare se comunica partilor in termen de 15 zile de la pronuntare si poate fi atacata la Tribunalul Municipiului Bucuresti in termen de 30 de zile de la comunicare.

(4) Decizia Tribunalului Municipiului Bucuresti poate fi atacata cu recurs la Curtea de Apel Bucuresti in termen de 15 zile de la comunicare.

(5) La cererea instantei judecatoresti, Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci este obligat sa inainteze acesteia actele, documentele si informatiile necesare judecarii cauzei cu care a fost investita.

ART. 39 Competentele instantelor judecatoresti

Litigiile cu privire la calitatea de ameliorator, titular de brevet de soi sau cele cu privire la alte drepturi nascute din brevetul de soi, inclusiv drepturile patrimoniale ale amelioratorului, din contractul de cesiune sau licenta ori cele referitoare la nerespectarea prevederilor art. 33 alin. (1) si ale art. 34 sunt de competenta instantelor judecatoresti.

CAP. 10 Infractiuni si pedepse

Sectiunea 1

ART. 40 Infractiunile de contrafacere si divulgare

(1) Constituie infractiune de contrafacere, in sensul prezentei legi, efectuarea, fara autorizatia titularului brevetului de soi, a oricarui act prevazut la art. 27, precum si a oricarui act din cele prevazute mai jos:

a) folosirea pentru materialul de inmultire, produs si vandut, a unei alte denumiri decat denumirea inregistrata a noului soi; b) folosirea denumirii inregistrate a unui nou soi pentru materialul de inmultire, produs si vandut, care nu apartine acestui soi; c) atribuirea pentru materialul de inmultire, produs si vandut, a unei denumiri foarte apropiate de cea a soiului protejat, astfel incat sa poata produce confuzii; d) vanzarea de material de inmultire, cu mentiunea falsa ca apartine soiului pentru care s-a acordat brevet de soi, inducand astfel in eroare cumparatorul; e) falsul la inscrierea unui soi in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate; f) intocmirea de rapoarte false, precum si falsificarea documentatiilor cerute de prezenta lege; g) furnizarea de documente care contin informatii false.

(2) Faptele prevazute la alin. (1) se pedepsesc cu inchisoare de la 3 luni la 3 ani sau cu amenda de la 3 milioane lei la 15 milioane lei, cuantumul acesteia fiind reactualizat prin hotarare a Guvernului, in functie de rata inflatiei. Tentativa se pedepseste. (3) Divulgarea de date si informatii reprezentand un secret comercial referitor la un nou soi pentru care s-a depus o cerere de acordare a unui brevet de soi se pedepseste conform legii penale. Tentativa se pedepseste. (4) Daca vreuna dintre infractiunile prevazute la alin. (1) si (3) este savarsita de un

functionar in exercitiul atributiilor de serviciu, pedeapsa este inchisoarea de la 6 luni la 5 ani. (5) Actiunea penala se pune in miscare la plangerea prealabila a partii vatamate. (6) Pentru prejudiciile cauzate titularului de brevet de soi acesta are dreptul la despagubiri potrivit dreptului comun, iar produsele contrafacute pot fi confiscate potrivit legii penale.

Sectiunea a 2-a

ART. 41 Actiunea in contrafacere

(1) O actiune in contrafacere poate fi pornita de titular numai dupa publicarea cererii de brevet de soi. (2) Cand o licenta a fost acordata si daca in contract nu se prevede altfel, beneficiarul licentei nu poate introduce in justitie o actiune in contrafacere fara consimtamantul titularului brevetului de soi. (3) Detinatorul unei licente exclusive poate introduce o actiune in contrafacere, daca l-a instiintat pe titularul brevetului de soi si daca acesta nu a actionat in termenul solicitat de licentiat. (4) Cand o actiune in contrafacere a fost pornita de catre titularul brevetului de soi, oricare dintre licentiati poate sa intervina pentru a solicita repararea prejudiciului cauzat ca urmare a contrafacerii savarsite.

CAP. 11 Masuri asiguratorii, probe si taxe

ART. 42 Masuri asiguratorii, probe

(1) Titularul brevetului unui nou soi poate solicita instantei judecatoresti: a) ordonarea unor masuri asiguratorii, atunci cand exista un risc de incalcare a drepturilor decurgand din brevetul de soi si daca aceasta incalcare risca sa cauzeze un prejudiciu ireparabil si daca exista un risc de distrugere a elementelor de proba; b) ordonarea, imediat dupa urmarire, a unor masuri privind incetarea faptelor de incalcare a drepturilor decurgand din brevetul de soi, savarsite de o terta persoana cu ocazia introducerii in circuitul comercial a unor marfuri importate, care implica o atingere a acestor drepturi; c) ordonarea masurii confiscarii sau a distrugerii materialului de inmultire prevazut la art. 40 alin. (1) lit. b)-d). (2) Instanta va putea dispune autorului incalcarii drepturilor decurgand din brevetul de soi sa informeze titularul asupra identitatii tertilor care au participat la producerea si distribuirea materialelor de inmultire prevazute la art. 40 alin. (1) lit. b)-d). (3) Pentru ordonarea masurilor prevazute la alin. (1) sunt aplicabile dispozitiile art. 581 si 582 din Codul de procedura civila. (4) Cand ordona masuri asiguratorii, instanta poate obliga reclamantul la plata unei cautiuni, in suma stabilita de aceasta. (5) Instanta va putea cere reclamantului sa furnizeze orice elemente probatorii de care dispune, pentru a dovedi ca este detinatorul dreptului care a fost incalcat ori a carui incalcare este inevitabila. (6) In cazurile in care mijloacele de proba in sustinerea pretentiilor reclamantului se

afla sub controlul paratului, instanta va putea ordona ca probele sa fie produse de catre parat, sub conditia garantarii confidentialitatii informatiilor, potrivit legii. (7) Instanta va putea ordona reclamantului sa plateasca toate daunele cauzate paratului, ca urmare a unei exercitari abuzive a drepturilor procedurale cu privire la un nou soi.

ART. 43 Taxe

(1) Taxele pentru procedurile prevazute de prezenta lege se platesc in contul Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, in cuantumul si la termenele prevazute in anexa care face parte integranta din prezenta lege. (2) Persoanele fizice si juridice romane, solicitanti sau titulari de brevete de soi, platesc taxele in lei. Persoanele fizice si juridice straine, care sunt solicitanti, titulari de brevete de soi sau care au preluat un drept de proprietate industriala, platesc taxele datorate in valuta. In cazul in care sunt mai multi solicitanti sau titulari de brevete de soi, romani si straini, taxele datorate in comun se platesc in valuta. (3) Solicitantii sau titularii de brevete de soi, care nu au preluat sau nu au transmis in conditiile legii dreptul lor pana la data platii, platesc taxele prevazute in anexa, reduse cu 50% din fiecare taxa, daca este persoana fizica sau juridica ori unitate de cercetare sau de invatamant autohtona. (4) Reducerea prevazuta la alin. (3) se aplica, la data platii, pentru fiecare procedura in parte, daca sunt indeplinite conditiile prevazute la alineatul respectiv si daca sunt sustinute cu acte doveditoare la data platii. (5) Taxele pentru cererile de brevet de soi si pentru brevetele de soi privind procedurile in fata Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci constituie venituri ale acestuia si se utilizeaza in regim extrabugetar, in conditiile legii. (6) Din taxele incasate Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci va achita autoritatilor tehnice nationale sau internationale, dupa caz, tarifele datorate pentru efectuarea testelor de crestere.

ART. 44 Competente

(1) Competentele pentru punerea in aplicare a prezentei legi apartin Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci si Ministerului Agriculturii si Alimentatiei. (2) Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, ca organ de specialitate in subordinea Guvernului si unica autoritate pe teritoriul Romaniei pentru acordarea protectiei in domeniul proprietatii industriale, acorda brevete de soi pentru noile soiuri, in conformitate cu prezenta lege si cu respectarea conventiilor internationale la care Romania este parte, si are urmatoarele atributii: a) inregistreaza, publica si examineaza cererile de acordare a brevetelor de soi pentru noile soiuri; b) organizeaza si tine Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri si Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate; c) editeaza periodic Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala - sectiunea Soiuri protejate prin brevete, care contine informatii cu privire la cererile de brevet de soi, la denumirea de noi soiuri si propunerile de denumiri, precum si la noile soiuri pentru care s-au acordat brevete; d) asigura schimbul de publicatii cu administratiile nationale similare straine si cu organismele si organizatiile internationale de profil;

e) stabileste, impreuna cu Ministerul Agriculturii si Alimentatiei, caracteristicile cuprinse in chestionarul tehnic, in conformitate cu normele internationale privind protectia noilor soiuri; f) atesta reprezentantii autorizati pentru procedurile privind protectia noilor soiuri in fata Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci. (3) Ministerul Agriculturii si Alimentatiei, in exercitarea atributiilor sale: a) decide, din punct de vedere tehnic, asupra metodologiei de testare a noilor soiuri; b) coopereaza cu Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, cu asociatiile amelioratorilor, ale titularilor de brevete de soi, cu asociatia producatorilor de seminte si de material de inmultire, cu Academia de Stiinte Agricole si Silvice "Gheorghe Ionescu Sisesti", cu institutele si statiunile de cercetare de profil, in vederea stabilirii caracteristicilor legate de protectia noilor soiuri; c) desemneaza reprezentantii Ministerului Agriculturii si Alimentatiei in cadrul comisiei de reexaminare. (4) Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci si Ministerul Agriculturii si Alimentatiei dezvolta relatii cu organizatiile guvernamentale similare si cu organizatiile internationale specializate, la care Romania este parte, in domeniul protectiei noilor soiuri.

ART. 45 Protectia noilor soiuri in strainatate

Persoanele fizice si juridice romane au dreptul sa isi aleaga statul in care vor sa depuna, pentru prima data, cererea de acordare a brevetului de soi sau a unui titlu de protectie similar.

CAP. 12 Dispozitii tranzitorii si finale

ART. 46

(1) Cererile de brevete de soi, inregistrate la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci in conditiile Legii nr. 64/1991 privind brevetele de inventie si ale Hotararii Guvernului nr. 152/1992 pentru aprobarea Regulamentului de aplicare a Legii nr. 64/1991, pentru care nu s-a luat o hotarare de admitere sau de respingere, se solutioneaza potrivit prevederilor prezentei legi. (2) Prezenta lege intra in vigoare la 90 de zile de la data publicarii ei in Monitorul Oficial al Romaniei. (3) In termen de 90 de zile de la publicarea prezentei legi in Monitorul Oficial al Romaniei, Guvernul va aproba, la propunerea Oficiului de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci, regulamentul pentru aplicarea prezentei legi. (4) La data intrarii in vigoare a prezentei legi se abroga dispozitiile referitoare la protectia soiurilor si hibrizilor de plante, prevazute la art. 7 alin. 3 si la art. 11 din Legea nr. 64/1991, dispozitiile referitoare la soiuri si hibrizi de plante din cap. III al Hotararii Guvernului nr. 152/1992, precum si orice alte dispozitii contrare.

Aceasta lege a fost adoptata de Senat in sedinta din 24 septembrie 1998, cu respectarea prevederilor art. 74 alin. (1) din Constitutia Romaniei.

p. PRESEDINTELE SENATULUI, DORU IOAN TARACILA

Aceasta lege a fost adoptata de Camera Deputatilor in sedinta din 25 noiembrie 1998, cu respectarea prevederilor art. 74 alin. (1) din Constitutia Romaniei.

p. PRESEDINTELE CAMEREI DEPUTATILOR, PAULA IVANESCU

ANEXA 1

TERMENELE DE PLATA SI CUANTUMUL TAXELOR pentru cererile de brevet de soi si pentru brevetele de soi

Nr. crt.

Obiectul platii Termenul de plata

Cuantum -mii lei *)

1. Inregistrarea cererii de brevet de soi

o data cu cererea de inregistrare

140

2. Invocarea prioritatii:

a) o data cu inregistrarea cererii

b) in termen de pana la 3 luni de la depunerea cererii de brevet de soi

la depunerea cererii de brevet de soi sau la 3 luni de la depunere la data solicitarii

350

700

3. Examinarea cererii de brevet de soi pe grupe, pentru fiecare an de examinare 1 2 si 3 4

la data solicitarii la data solicitarii la data solicitarii

910 560 350

4. Verificarea testelor de crestere (la cerere)

o data cu solicitarea

1.400

5. Examinarea prealabila a denumirii unui soi

o data cu solicitarea

350

6. Eliberarea dupa 6 luni 700

Cuantum -dolari S.U.A.-

20

50

100

130 80 50

200

50

100

brevetului de soi

de la data publicarii hotararii de acordare

7. Examinarea unei contestatii

o data cu solicitarea

350

8. Examinarea unei cereri de revocare

o data cu solicitarea 1.050

9. Examinarea unei cereri de anulare

o data cu solicitarea 1.050

10. Mentinerea in vigoare a unui brevet de soi: - de la anul 1 pana la anul 5

- anii urmatori, pentru fiecare an in parte

la incheierea fiecarui an de protectie

la incheierea fiecarui an de protectie

1 2 3 4 5 38 350 315 280

77 700 630 560

11. Examinarea unei cereri de revalidare a brevetului de soi

o data cu solicitarea

700

12. Cumpararea raportului tehnic international a unui nou soi

o data cu solicitarea de catre Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci

2.450

13. Inspectarea Registrului National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate

la cerere 350

14. Inregistrarea unei modificari in o data cu 140

50

50

50

1 2 3 4 5 55 50 45 40

110 100 90 80

100

350

50

20

-------------

situatia juridica a cererii de brevet sau a brevetului de soi: a) cesiuni b) licente c) alte modificari

inregistrarea si solicitarea inscrierii idem idem

350 175

50 25

15. Eliberarea de duplicate, copii, adeverinte

o data cu inregistrarea la Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci a solicitarii

70 10

Grupuri de soiuri: 1. cereale si plante tehnice; 2. plante furajere; 3. pomi si arbusti fructiferi, vita de vie; 4. plante legumicole, floricole si arbori ornamentali.

*) Se calculeaza la cursul oficial al Bancii Nationale a Romaniei la data platii. *ST*