Implementing Regulations of the Law No. 255/1998 on the Protection of the New Plant Varieties, Romania, WIPO Lex

Main text(s)

Romanian Regulamentului pentru aplicarea Legii nr. 255/1998 privind protecţia noilor soiuri de plante - publicat în Monitorul Oficial nr.638/18.09.2007

English Implementing Regulations of the Law No. 255/1998 on the Protection of the New Plant Varieties

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CHAPTER I—General Provisions
CHAPTER II—Patentability of New Plant Varieties
CHAPTER III—Right to Protection
- Rule 9—Right to a Variety Patent
CHAPTER IV—Procedure for the Examination of an Application
CHAPTER V
- Rule 25—Duration of Variety Protection
CHAPTER VI—Right of the Variety Holder
CHAPTER VII—Lapse of the Variety Patent
CHAPTER VIII—EXPLOITATION OF THE PROTECTED VARIETY
CHAPTER X

IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS

OF THE LAW
ON THE PROTECTION OF THE NEW PLANT VARIETIES NO. 255/1998

CHAPTER I

General Provisions

RuIe 1

Object of protection

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

RuIe 2

Definitions

For the purpose of the present regulations:

a) law means the Law on the protection of the new plant varieties No. 255/1998,

published in the Official Gazette of Romania no. 525 of December 31, 1998;

b) regulations means the Implementing Regulations of the Law on the protection of the New Plant Varieties No. 255/1998;

c) O.S.I.M. means the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks;

d) M.A.A. means The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry;

e) competent national authority means The State Institute for Testing and

Registration of Varieties (1.8.1.1.8.) or an authority designated by M.A.A.;

f) National Register of Variety Patent Applications means the register for entering the variety patent applications (RNCBS); g) National Register of Variety Patents means the register for entering the granted variety patents (RNBSP);

h) Official Bulletin of Industrial Property -the section for varieties protected by variety patents (BOP1-SSPBS);

i) authorized agent means the natural or legal person having the place of residence or headquarter in Romania, certified by O.S.I.M. and empowered to represent the applicant or the holder in the proceedings before the O.S.I.M.;

j) candidate variety means the variety for which an application for a variety patent was filed with O.S.I.M; k) protected variety means the bred and cultivated variety for which O.S.I.M. granted a variety patent; I) initial variety means the protected variety which may be the starting material for a new variety essentially derived;

m) dependent variety means the variety which, for the purpose of production, needs the repeated use of an initial protected variety, or which is essentially derived from a protected variety, provided that said variety is not in its turn essentially derived; the dependent variety may be the SUbject-matter of a variety patent independently from the protected initial variety, provided that it fulfils the distinctness, uniformity and stability conditions stipulated by the law;

n) essentially derived variety means the varietyderivedfromanotherprotectedinitiaI variety, provided that it is predominantly derived from the initial variety or from another variety which is predominantly derived from the initial variety and who keeps the expression of the essential characteristics resulting from a genotype of the initial variety or from a combination of genotypes; the essentially derived variety shall be clearly distinguishable from the initial protected variety by one or more characteristics which may be precisely described;

0) genetically modified variety means any variety obtained by genetic engineering; p) ornamental tree variety means a variety of trees belonging to any horticultural 0 r forest species on which breeding was developed;

q) variety ofcommun knowledge means a variety existing in a recognized reference

collection, in a gene bank or in an official catalogue! register and which may be reproduced

and cultivated whenever necessary.

Rule 3
Representation

(1): The applicant or holder of a variety patent may be represented in the proceedings before the O.S.I.M. by an authorized agent having the place of residence or headquarter in Romania.
(2): The applicant or holder of a variety patent who does not have the place of residence or headquarter in the territory of Romania has to be represented before O.S.I.M. by an authorized agent.
(5): Any document requested through the authorized agent regarding the withdrawal of the variety patent application, the renunciation to the variety patent and any application relating to the transfer of rights in a variety, will be made by a special document mentioning expressly the withdrawal, renunciation or transfer.
(6): When the applicant is represented by an authorized agent, this one may sign the variety patent application on the basis of the power of attorney given to him by the applicant. If, within 3 months from the filing date of the application the power of attorney is not submitted to O.S.I.M., the application will be rejected, in confirmity with Art. 20 (2) of the Law.
(7): The applicant or the holder may have only one authorized agent, or if the application or other document indicates more authorized agents, only the first written will be taken into consideration.

CHAPTER II
Patentability of New Plant Varieties

Rule 4
Conditions of Protection

O.S.I.M. grants a variety patent if the conditions provided for in Art. 5 of the Law, respectivelly novelty, distinctness, uniformity and stability, depending on the group of species, are fulfilled cumulatively, and if the variety has a correct denomination, according to Art. 15 of Law.

Rule 5
Novelty

(1): The variety shall not be lost the novelty within the meaning of Art.6 para (2) of the Law, if it:
(a): forms part of an agreement whereby a person produces propagating material of said variety in the name of the breeder or of his successor in title, provided that the harvested propagating material returns to the breeder or to his successor in title and is not used for the propagation of another variety;
(b): forms part of an agreement whereby a person conducts trials in the field or laboratory or cultivates the variety to a small-scale for its evaluation;
(c): forms the object of an administrative commitment with regard to the biologica I security or the registration of the varieties in an official catalogue of varieties admitted for commerce;

Romania, earlier than one year before filing the application for a variety patent with O.S.I.M.; the breeder may sell the propagating or harvested material in order to prospect the market, earlier than one year before filing the application for a variety patent with O.S.I.M.;

(b) for the varieties created by foreign applicants, the exploitation or commercialisation of the variety in other countries, earlier than four years before filing the application for the variety patent with O.S.I.M.; for the species of trees or of vines the commercial exploitation is earlier than six years before the filing date of the application with

O.S.I.M.

Rule 6
Distinctness

(1): The distinctness is established, according to Art. 7 of the Law, in comparison with a reference variety and any other variety whose existence is a matter of common knowledge on the filing date of the application for the variety patent or on the date of the priority, if the candidate variety is clearly distinguishable by the expression of one or more relevant characteristics.
(2): The morphological, physiological and/or biochemical characteristics taken into consideration when examining the variety for establishing the distinctness, are the characteristics considered relevant and independent from the environment and easy to be described.
(3): Filing the application for protection or registration of a variety in a catalogue of varieties accepted for marketing makes the variety a matter of common knowledge, provided that the application leads to the grant and recognition of the breeders' rights and to the existence of the variety as living material.
(4): In order to establish that the existence of a variety is a matter of common knowledge in Romania, documents proving the exploitation of the variety may be presented, respectively the registration in an official catalogue of varieties or in a registered professional association, if included in a reference collection recognized internationally or

in a member State of the International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties.

(5) As a rule, when establishing the distinctness of a variety, the characteristics regarding the agronomic value of the variety may also be taken into consideration; these are used only for the agricultural species and to the extent in which said characteristics are precise and not fluctuant due to the environment.

Rule 7
Uniformity

(1): The uniformity is determined by taking into consideration the group of species the variety belongs to and the expected interspecific variations produced during the sexually or vegetative propagation, if the variety remains uniform in the expression of the relevant characteristics used for establishing the distinctness and for the variety description.
(2): For the vegetatively propagated varieties or for the varieties obtained from selfpollinating species, the degree of uniformity is established depending on the species.
(3): For the varieties belonging to cross-pollinating species and which have a high degree of heterogenity, the uniformity is measured in relation to the comparison varieties.

Rule 8
Stability

The stability of a candidate variety, within the meaning of Art. 9 of the Law, is determined after repeated propagation and in compliance with the specificity of each propagation cycle of the new variety, provided that the variety remains unchanged in the expression of the relevant characteristics for distinctness and for the variety description.

CHAPTER 111
Right to Protection

Rule 9
Right to a Variety Patent

(1): The person entitled to be granted the protection under Art. 10 (1) of the Law is the breeder, who bred, discovered and developed the new variety.
(2): Where the breeder has assigned his rights in the variety by an assignment contract, a licence or by any other way of transfer these rights belong to his successor in title as provided for in Art. 35 of the Law. The transfers are published in BOPI.
(3): Where two or more breeders, bred or discovered the new variety jointly, the variety patent shall be granted to them jointly.
(4): Where two persons bred, discovered and developed the same variety independently, the person entitled to be granted the variety patent isthe one who first filed the variety patent application.
(5): Where the applications for the same variety were filed with O.S.I.M. by two applicants on the same day, the protection shall be granted to both applicants and the variety shall be exploited jointly.
(6): The right to the variety patent shall belong to the breeder and to any other person jointly, if the two declare in writing that they agree to hold this right jointly.
(7): Where an interested person notifies to O.S.I.M. that the applicant is not the person entitled to be granted the protection for a new variety and that the ownership is appeald against, O.S.I.M. suspends the examination procedure until a final and irrevocable decision is communicated.

CHAPTER IV
Procedure for the Examination of an Application

Rule 10
Filing the Application for Variety Patent

(1) Any natural or legal person who wants to protect a new variety and who is entitled to the grant of a variety patent, may file the application with O.S.I.M., directly or through an authorized agent.

(2) The application for the variety patent may be filed:
a) directly and with the confirmation of the receipt from the Receipt bureau of

O.S.I.M.; b) by mail, registered and with confirmation of the receipt; c) by electronic means, the original being afterwards sent by mail.

(3) The Receipt bureau writes down on the application the year, month and day of receipt.

Rule 11
Content of the Application for Variety Patent

(1) The application for the variety patent is drawn up in two copies, on standardized printed forms, and relates to only one variety.

(2) The application for the grant of a variety patent shall contain;
a) an express request for the grant of a variety patent;
b) name and surname Idenomination and address I registered office of the

applicant(s); c) name and surname / denomination and address Iregistered office of the breeder, if the breeder is not the same as the applicant; d) when the applicant is a foreign natural or legal person, the name of the state the citizen of which he is or the name of the state where he has the place of residence 0 r

registered office; e) when represented by an authorized agent, the name and place of residence thereof; f) identification of the botanical taxon, with both the Latin and common name of the species the variety belongs; g) provisional denomination of the variety given by the breeder on a separate printed form; h) in case of claiming the priority of a first application filed in another state, a priority declaration proving the date of the first filing;

i) a standardized description of the variety in compliance with the international quidelines on the description of protected varieties, with at least one colour reproduction annexed;

j) geographical origin of the variety;

k) the applicant's or his authorized agent's signature, as the case may be.

(3) The application for the variety patent shall be accompanied by the following documents:

a) proof of payment of the filing fee;

b) power of attorney for the representation of the applicant or holder, drawn up in

Romanian or accompanied by the legalized translation in Romanian; c) a declaration from the applicant on his own responsibility that the variety has not been commercialised, as provided in Art. 6 (1) of the Law;

d) name/denomination of the breeder and a declaration from the applicant, according to which, to the best of his knowledge, no other persons have been involved in breeding, discovery and development of the new variety;

e) the assignment contract, where the applicant is different from the breeder; f) documents confirming the priority in another state.

(6): Where the priority of a first application filed in another state is claimed, O.S.I.M. shall invite the applicant within 3 months to provide a Romanian translation of that

application.

Rule 12
Official Filing Date of the Variety Patent Application

(1) The official filing date of a variety patent application shall be the date of filing with

O.S.I.M. a variety patent application containing at least the elements provided for in Art. 12 (1) (a) to ( d) of the Law, drawn up in Romanian and accompanied by the proof of payment of the filing fee, as provided for in Art. 12 (3) (a) from the law.

(2): The official filing date provided for in Art.13 para (1) of the Law shall be the same with the date of filing for fereign applicants, whether natural or legal persons, provided that the application filed in a foreign language will be translated in Romania and submitted within 3 months from the filing date.
(3): Within two months of the date of receipt of the application, O.S.I.M. examines whether the conditions provided for in Art. 12 (1) (a) to (d) and (2) (a) of the Law are fulfilled. If the conditions are fulfilled, O.S.I.M. decides to give an official filing date, to enter the application date in RNCBS, to notify the applicant and publish the application identification data in the Official Industrial Property Bulletin -SSPBS.

(4) In case some elements of the application provided for in para (3) are missing,

O.S.I.M. notifies the applicant a time limit of 3 months to remediate.

(5) Where the applicant regulates the application within the time period provided fo r in para (4), the official filing date shall be the date of receipt of the documentation by

O.S.I.M.

(6) Failing the regulation of the application within the time limit, O.S.I.M. will consider that the application has not been filed and will return the documentation to the applicant, refunding the examination fees in case they have been paid.

Rule 13
Right of Priority

(1): The provisions of Art. 14 para (1) and (2) of the Law are also applicable to the applications whose subject-matters are new plant varieties, if the legislation, according to which they have been filed, stipulates identical criteria for the grant of protection, respectively distinctness, uniformity and stability.
(2): Where a priority is claimed according to Art. 14 para (2) of the Law, the applicant shall mention it expressly in the variety patent application filed with O.S.I.M. and shall submit documents for identifying the first filing of the application.
(3): In order to prove the priority from another state, the applicant shall submit to O.S.I.M., within three months from filing the variety patent application, a certified copy in Romanian language of the priority documents provided for in para (2).
(4): If the applicant fails to observe the time limit provided for in para (3), or fails to pay the priority fee, O.S.I.M. shall not recognise the claimed priority.
(5): The filing of other applications, within 12 months of the date of the first official filing, the publishing of the identification data of other applications, the use of the variety for which protection is applied, do not constitute grounds for rejection of a subsequent application within this time period, and do not give rise to any third party rights.
(6): The non-recognition of the priority for a new variety shall be considered as the first file application with O.S.I.M.

Rule 14
Variety denomination

(1) The protected variety shall by designated by a generic denomination to permit

its identification on the market. The denomination shall be specified in the granted variety patent.

(2) The denomination shall be proposed by the applicant and shall be transmitted to O.S.I.M. at the same time with the variety patent application, being filled in on separate printed form.

(3): As a rule, the variety denomination shall consist of a word or of combination of words with or without significance, which may be accompanied by letters or figures, so as to differ from any other denomination of another known protected variety or contained in a catalogue of protected varieties or in a trade catalogue and which belongs to a species, subspecies, variety, of plants closely related to the candidate of the botanical taxon with the lowest rank variety.
(4): The denomination of the new variety shall not consist only of figures, except where this is an established international practice for the designation of said species.
(5): During the term of protection of the variety patent it is forbidden on the territory of Romania to use the denomination of the protected variety to designate another related variety which could cause confusion concerning its distinct characteristics.
(6): The interdiction provided for in para (5) shall also be maintained after the expiry of the term of protection of the variety patent, if the variety exploitation continues or if the denomination is under the incidence of Art. 7 of the Law.
(7): Any person who offers for sale, sells or markets propagating material of the protected variety is obliged to use the denomination of that variety. This provision also applies to varieties referred to in Art. 27(2) ( b) of the Law.
(8): 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, unless:

a) O.S.I.M. considers the denomination unsuitable for that variety; b) the denomination has already been used by third parties for said variety or for another variety and this may cause confusion on the autochtonous market. Under the conditions provided for in letter a) and b) O.S.I.M. shall request the applicant to propose another denomination for the candidate variety.

(9) The filing of the variety denomination shall be refused if it contains an elemen t liable to cause a damage or to give rise to a risk of confusion with another trade name of other variety or of a trademark, or of another previously protected industrial or intellectual property right.

(10) Where O.S.I.M. considers that the provisions of Art. 15 from the Law are fulfilled, the denomination proposed by the applicant for the candidate variety is published in BOPI-SSPBS.

(11): Within three months from the publishing date, any interested person may draw up written objections concerning the denomination of the candidate variety.
(12): O.S.I.M. notifies the objections to the applicant inviting him to submit his observations within 30 days of receiving the notification.
(13): The applicant may transmit a new proposal for the variety denomination within a time limit given by O.S.I.M., provided for in para (12).
(14): The new proposal for the variety denomination shall be examined and published in BOPI-SSPBS, if the conditions provided for in the Law are fulfilled.
(17): O.S.I.M. cancels the denomination, where: a) it has been ascertained that the denomination do not meet at least one of the conditions under Art. 15 para (1) to (9) of the Law; b) the applicant requests the cancellation, of the denomination proving a legitimate interest;

c) there exists a final and irrevocable decision forbidding the use of the denomination for that variety.

(18): O.S.I.M. shall inform the applicant about the reasons of cancellation provided for in para (17) (a) or (c) and shall request him to propose a new denomination for the variety, within 30 days of the date of receiving the notification.
(19): The proposed denomination shall undergo the examination and publication procedures.
(20): Before filing a variety patent application and in order to propose a correct denomination for the candidate variety, any interested person may request O.S.I.M. to perform a preliminary search, subject to payment of the fee provided for in the appendix to the Law.

Rule 15
Examination of the Application as to Form

(1) The examination of the variety patent is performed by O.S.I.M. that shall check whether the documentation filed by the applicant satisfies the provisions of Art. 10 para (1) to (4) and of Art. 12 of the Law.

(2) O.S.I.M. examines, according to the provisions of Art. 10 para (1) to (4) of the

Law, whether: a) the applicant is the breeder; b) the right to the grant of the variety patent belongs to more breeders; c) the right to the grant of the variety patent belongs to the breeder and to other

person jointly, according to the written declaration signed by them; d)the breeder being an employee and creating the variety during his employment, the right to the patent belongs to the employer.

(3) O.S.I.M. examines, according to the provisions of Art. 12 of the Law, whether

the variety patent application contains:

a) the applicant's name/denomination and address/headquarter;

b) the proposal of denomination for the new variety;

c) the botanical taxon/Latin name of the genus, family, species, subspecies to which the variety belongs, common and/or trade name;

d) the geographic origin of the new variety;

e) the presentation of the new variety in standardized form, according to the international norms for the description of a new variety belonging to a species; if this is not correct, the applicant is granted a two-month time limit to remedy it; f) the claimed priority of a first application for the candidate variety as well as the priority documents; g) wether the variety patent application is accompanied by the proof of payment of the filing fee;

h) wether there exists a power of attorney signed by the applicant;

i) the applicant's declaration on his own responsibility, that he did not market the

new variety, according to the provisions of Art. 6 of the Law;

j) the name and address of the applicant or applicants involved in breeding or discovering and developing the new variety;

k) the document of assignment of the right to the grant of the variety patent, if the case may be;

I) other documents and information concerning the origin and crop cultivating conditions for the candidate variety.

(4): Where it has been ascertained that the variety patent application fulfils the provisions of Art. 12 of the Law, the variety patent application shall be given an official filing date, it shall enter in the RNCBS and the applicant shall be notified.
(5): The filed applications are published in BOPI-SSPBS within 3 months of the official filing date.
(6): For each candidate variety the species, the variety denomination and the provisional denomination, the application filing date, the claimed priority, if the case may be, the applicant's name and address shall be published.
(7): Where the application is incomplete, incorrect or contains irregularities, O.S.I.M. notifies the deficiencies to the applicant and an extension of 30-days time limit shall be granted to remedy them.
(8): Failing the answer or request for extension of the time limit or failing the regulation of the description, O.S.I.M. rejects the variety patent application.

Rule 16
Substantive Examination of the Application

(1) The variety patent application which fulfils the conditions provided for in Art.16 para (1) of the Law shall be examined as to the substance on the basis of the information provided by the applicant, in order to verify whether:

a) the application refers to a variety within the meaning of Art. 2 letter a) of the Law;
b) the variety belongs to the declared botanical taxon;
c) the candidate variety is new according to the provisions of Art. 6 of the Law;

d) the denomination, proposed by the applicant is correct and fulfils the provisions of Art, 15 of the Law.

(2): O.S.I.M. shall not reject the variety patent application before notifying the applicant the reasons of rejection and allowing a maximum three-month time limit for correcting the deficiencies.
(3): Upon express request by the applicant, O.S.I.M. may extend, by two months, the time limit provided for in para (2), according to the provisions of Art. 17 (3) of the Law.
(4): Where the application fulfils cumulatively the provisions of Art. 6, 10, 12 and 16 of the Law, O.S.I.M. shall decide the start of the technical examination and shall request the applicant to submit the propagating material necessary for conducting the growing tests.
(5): Failing the answer within the time limit, O.S.I.M. shall reject the variety patent application.

Rule 17
Technical Examination of the New Variety

(1) I.S.T.I.S. or the authority designated by M.A.A. shall perform an examination in accordance with Art. 8 of the Law, in order: a) to verify that the candidate variety belongs to the botanical taxon declared by the applicant and identified during the formal examination; b) to establish that the variety is distinct, uniform and stable within the meaning of Art.7 to 9 of the law;

c) to establish that the official description of the new variety is drawn up so as to permit the differentiation of that variety from the reference variety.

(2) When the applicant does not submit the findings of the tests for the new variety conducted by another internationally recognized competent authority, autochtonous growing tests for distinctness, uniformity and stability shall be developed:

a) by I.S.T.I.S. or another authority on behalf thereof, designated by M.A.A.; b) by the applicant, upon request by I.S.T.I.S. or O.S.I.M. for the rare species for which there does not exist the reference collection.

(3): In order to perform the growing tests correctly, the applicant shall supply documents relative to cultivation of the candidate variety.
(4): Where I.S.T.I.S. or the authority designated by M.A.A. or an internationally recognized authority have not conducted tests, O.S.I.M. may decide to grant the protection based on the technical report drawn up by a competent authority, provided that the applicant agrees to buy this technical report and pays the fee prescribed in the annex to the Law.
(5): In order to conduct the growing tests, the applicant shall supply, free of charge, propagating material in the amount requested by the authority performing the tests and shall notify, in writing, the amount and the type of the transmitted propagating material as well as the date of delivery, both to the competent national authority and to O~S.I.M.
(6): By way of exception, the testing period may be extended by I.S.T.I.S, or upon request by the applicant, provided that the prescribed fee of the annex to the Law is paid.

Where the protection is rejected and the decision is appealed against, the applicant may request the repetition of the trials, provided that the prescribed fee for verification of the growing tests of the annex to the Law is paid.

(8): Based on the trial findings I.S.T.I.S. shall draw up a technical report containing the morphological and physiological relevant characteristics which make the variety distinct, uniform and stable in comparison with any other variety belonging to the same taxon, whose existence is a matter of common knowledge.
(9): The technical report drawn up by an international authority or by the breeder may be subjected to an analysis by the competent national authority, with a view to validating or invalidating the same.
(10): Where O.S.I.M. states that the tests have been invalidated by the competent national authority, it notifies the results to the applicant and allows him a three-month time limit for reaction.

Upon expiry of this time-limit, if the applicant fails to answer, O.S.I.M. to rejects the variety patent application and publishes the decision of rejection in BOPI-SSPBS.

(11) During the entire period of examination of the new variety, O.S.I.M. and the competent national authority shall inform each other about the examination procedure of the variety patent application.

(12) The decision to reject the variety patent application may be appealed against by the applicant before the O.S.I.M. Board of appeal, within three months from the communication.

The appeal may be lodged in writing with a statement of reason and the prescribed fee provided for in the annex to the Law shall be paid.

(13) The Board of Appeal may decide, as the case may be:
a) to accept the applicant's appeal and grant the patent for the candidate variety;
b) to accept the applicant's appeal and to return the variety patent application to the

substantive examination board and, where applicable, requestthe repetition of the growing tests; c) to reject the appeal and keep the decision of rejection of the application.

(14) The decisions taken by the Board of appeal are registered in RNCBS and are published in BOPI-SSPBS.

Rule 18
Testing the New Variety

(1): The competent national authority, depending on the species to which the variety belongs, conducts and organizes its own trials and may consider and/or inspect the crops and trials conducted by the breeder and/or applicant and may estimate whether the variety fulfils the requirements of distinctness, uniformity and stability.
(2): The growing tests methodology for each species is established by M.A.A. together with O.S.I.M., according to the international guidelines and with the national norms regarding the examining the varieties registered in the official list of varieties and considering the specific pedoclimatic conditions of the country.

(3) Where the growing tests are conducted according to Art. 19 para (3) of the Law,

O.S.I.M. together with the competent national authority shall establish the amount of propagating material necessary for organizing the trials, the place and the address where the applicant shall submit the material.

(4) O.S.I.M. and/or I.S.T.I.S or the authority designated by M.A.A. may request the

applicant to submit all information, materials and documents necessary for the conducting of the technical examination.

(5): Failing an answer to the request provided for in para 4 and a request for postponing with a statement of reason, within the time limit, the variety patent application shall be rejected.
(6): The applicant at his request, has the right to inspect the crop trials performed for establishing the distinctness, uniformity and stability for his variety during the testing of the new variety.

Rule 19
O.S.LM. Decisions

(1): O.S.I.M. shall take the decision to grant the variety patent and publish this decision in BOPI, when the conditions provided for in Art. 7 to 9 and 16 are fulfilled. Otherwise, the variety is deemed being unqualified for protection and the variety patent application shall be rejected.
(2): The decision to reject is taken by O.S.I.M. only after having notified the applicant in writing about the grounds for rejection of the variety patent application and after having allowed a 3-month time limit for reply. For justified grounds, the applicant may request the postponing with a view to preparing a pertinent answer.
(3): Any interested party may object in writing and on justified reasons to the grant of the variety patent application and may request the revocation provided that the prescribed revocation fee of the annex to the Law is paid.
(4): The official description of the protected variety may be amended by the holder or by O.S.I.M. during the validity period of the variety patent in response to development in agrobiological knowledge and variety description methods, without the scope of protection being thereby affected. Amendments are made by O.S.I.M. only with the holder's agreement after to mutual consultation. Amendments made to the official description shall be published in BOPI-SSPBS.
(5): The appeals shall be settled by the Board of Appeal of O.S.I.M., these being submitted and drawn up within 3 months from publishing the decision.

Rule 20
Provisional Protection

(1): The applicant may request that third parties should be prevented to commit the acts provided for in Art. 27 of the Law only after publishing the variety patent application, within the period provided for in Art. 16 para (3) of the Law.
(2): When the variety patent application has been rejected, the applicant shall not enjoy the rights provided for in Art. 27 of the Law.

Rule 21
Extension of the Time Limit

(1): The applicant may request the extension of the time limit for the examination of the application up to one year.
(2): The extension of the time limit for the examination may be applied for in a written request with a statement of reason, which is submitted to O.S.I.M. and shall be subject to the payment of the fee, adequate to the procedure to which it refers, of the annex to the Law.

Rule 22
Withdrawal of Variety Patent Application

(1): The applicant may withdraw the variety patent application filed with O.S.I.M., any time until a decision on the grant of the variety patent is taken.
(2): Were the technical examination procedure of the variety has started, the examination fees shall not be refunded to the applicant.
(3): Withdrawal of the variety patent application by the applicant is performed by submitting a notification to O.S.I.M.

Rule 23
Revocation of the Decision to Grant a Variety Patent

(1) The decision to grant the variety patent is published in BOPI-SSPBS.

(2) Within 3 months from the date of publication any interested person may apply to O.S.I.M. for the revocation of the decision to grant a variety patent, only where the following conditions have not been met:

a) the variety is not new;
b) the variety is not distinct;
c) the variety is not uniform;
d) the variety is not stable;
e) the applicant is not the person entitled to be granted protection;
f) the variety denomination is not adequate or infringes previous rights.
The request for revocation shall be made in writing with statement of reason and

shall be accompanied by the proof of payment of the examination fee prescribed in the Law, and by the documents supporting the revocation.

(3): Within maximum 3 months from the date of filing thereof, the Board of Appeal of O.S.I.M. shall examine the request for revocation and shall take a decision regarding the candidate variety.
(4): In order to take a decision, O.S.I.M. may ask the person who lodged the request for revocation to submit documents and additional concerning the variety.
(5): When the request for revocation is based on non-fulfilment of the requirements of distinctness, uniformity and/or stability, the Board of appeal may request the repetition of the trialas by I.S.T.I.S. or by other authority designated by M.A.A.
(6): The Board of Appeal may request the examination of the candidate variety by crop experts.
(7): In such cases O.S.I.M. shall inform the applicant that a request for revocation was submitted and shall allow him a time limit for reply.
(8): In case of growing tests repetition, the applicant may inspect the crop in order to support his variety.
(9): Within 15 days from the pronountiation the decision of the Board of Appeal shall be submitted both to the applicant and to the person who requested the revocation.
(10): The final and irrevocable decisions shall be published in BOPI-SSPBS within 30 days and may by challenged as provided for in Art. 38 of the Law.

Rule 24
Issue of the Variety Patent and Registration
of the Variety Denomination

(1): When, after the variety examination, it has been established that the variety fulfils cumulatively the requirements provided for in Art. 5 of the Law and that the applicant is the person entitled to the grant of the variety patent, the Examination Board of O.S.I.M. decides to grant the variety patent. Within 6 months from the publishing of the decision in BOPI-SSPBS, the director general of O.S.I.M. issues a variety patent to which the official description of the protected variety is attached.
(2): The protected variety is entered in RNBSP which is open to the public and may be consulted on payment of the inspection fee prescribed by the Law.
(3): Where the variety patent application is filed with O.S.I.M by two or more applicants, the variety patent accompanied by the official description is granted to the first applicant mentioned in the application and the others shall be issued a duplicate thereof, on payment of the fee prescribed in the annex to the Law.

CHAPTER V

Rule 25
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 the new varieties of fruit-trees, vines and ornamental trees, forest tree s

included, the duration of protection is of 30 years as from the date of the grant of the variety patent.

(3) During the whole variety protection period, the applicant shall pay the annual maintenance fees of the variety patent at the terms prescribed in the annex to the Law.

CHAPTER VI
Right of the Variety Holder
Rule 26
Exclusive Right of the Variety Patent Holder

In implementing the provisions of Art. 27 of the Law, the variety patent holder shal I enjoy the exclusive right of exploitation of the new variety and the right to prevent third party without his authorization from performing the following acts,in relation to the propagating material: production and reproduction of the biological material for the purpose of propagation, processing for the purpose of propagation, offering for sale or selling, exporting or importing and stocking for these purposes.

Rule 27
Exceptions to the Exclusive Right of the
Variety Patent Holder

Any interested person may perform, without the holder's authorization, the following acts, according to the provisions of Art. 28 of the law: a) the use of the protected variety for personal and non-commercial purpose, for example by the farmer for his household necessities or by an amateur in his garden;

b) the use of the protected variety for experimental purposes and in the process of breeding, which allows to carry on the use of the protected varieties and ensures the of breeding of new varieties.

Rule 28
Exhaustion of the Variety Patent Holder's Rights

(1) Within the meaning of Art. 29 of the Law, the acts relating to any material of the protected variety shall not be considered an infringement of the holder's rights to the protected variety or to a variety covered by the provisions of Art. 27 of the Law, if sold or marketed by the breeder or with his consent.

(2) Within the meaning of para (1), material is considered:
a) the propagating material of any kind;
b) entire plants or parts of plants; and
c) any product made directly from the harvested material.

CHAPTER VII
Lapse of the Variety Patent
Rule 29
Invalidation of the Variety Patent

(1) Any interested person may file a request for invalidation of the variety patent

with O.S.I.M. any time during the period of protection for any of the reasons provided for in Art. 30 para (2) of the law.

(2): The request for invalidation of the variety patent shall be submitted in writing with statement of reason to the Board of appeal of O.S.I.M, being accompanied by the documents sustaining the invalidation and by the proof of payment of the legal fee.
(3): The Board of Appeal shall invalidate the variety patent when it has been established that:

a) the interested person proves that at the date of filing the variety paten t application, the variety did not fulfil the novelty requirement condition in terms of Art. 6 of the Law;

b) the interested person proves that the variety was not distinct in terms of Art. 7 of the Law;

c) the variety was not uniform in terms of Art. 8 of the Law;

d) the variety was not stable in terms of Art. 9 of the Law on the date of granting the variety patent;

e) finds out, based on the notification submitted by the interested person, that the applicant was not entitled to be granted protection.

(4): Where a transfer of rights on a new variety took place and the variety patent was granted without fulfilling the provisions of Art. 10 para (1) of the Law, O.S.I.M. invalidates the granted variety patent and grants another variety patent to the person to whom the right to the variety patent was transferred.
(5): The Board of Appeal of O.S.I.M. takes no decision before informing the applicant that a request of invalidation has been filed, giving him the opportunity to express his opinion in front of the Board.

6) The decision of the Board of Appeal shall be submitted to the parties within 15 days from the pronounciation and it may be challenged under Art. 38 of the Law.

(7): The final and irrevocable decision of invalidating the variety patent shall be entered into RNBSP and published in BOPI-SSPBS.
(8): The variety patent is deemed being invalidated starting from the date when the variety patent application was filed with O.S.I.M.

Rule 30
Forfeiture of Rights

(1): O.S.I.M. shall declare the holder's rights forfeit only after having notified the holder about the non-fulfilment of one of the conditions provided for in Art. 31 para (1) of the Law and after a three-month period for reply has been granted.
(2): Failing the answer from the applicant within the period allowed or failing the request of extension of the time period for correcting the deficiencies, O.S.I.M. declares the variety patent holder's rights forfeit and the forfeiture is entered into the RNBSP and published in BOPI-SSPBS, and it shall be effective as of the date of entering.

(3) The holder shall enjoy a six-month time limit from the date of publication of forfeiture and may request the revalidation of the variety patent after having corrected the deficiencies and having paid the related annual fee.

(4): The request of revocation of the variety patent shall be submitted to O.S.I.M. and shall be settled by the Board of appeal depending on the reason for which the holder's rights have been declared forfeit.
(5): The decisions of the Board of appeal relating to the request of revalidation of the variety patent shall be communicated 0 the applicant within 15 days of being pronounced and may be challenged under Art. 38 from the law.
(6): The final and irrevocable decisions of revalidation shall be published in BOPISSPBS.
(7): Committing the acts provided for in Art. 27 from the law, namely the commercial exploitation of the variety in the period between the forfeiture of rights and the revalidation of the variety patent, according to the provisions of art. 31 (5) from the law shall not constitute infringement of the holder's rights.

Rule 31
Renunciation to the Variety Patent

(1): Renunciation shall be made on the basis of a written declaration signed by the holder, submitted to O.S.I.M.
(2): The holder shall inform the breeder of his intention to renounce the variety patent prior to renunciation.
(3): The breeder has the right to request the holder to transfer his rights in the patent to him and the holder is obliged to transfer this right.
(4): Renunciation or the transfer of right in the protected patent, as the case may be, becomes effective on the date of entering into the RNBSP.

CHAPTER VIII
EXPLOITATION OF THE PROTECTED VARIETY
Rule 32
Maintenance of the Protected Variety

(1): Upon request, the holder shall supply samples of the protected variety or, if required, components thereof to a.S.I.M., I.S.1.I.S or to the authority designated by M.A.A. in a preestablished period of time.
(2): a.S.I.M. may ask the holder to maintain and preserve samples of propagating material on behalf of a.S.I.M., I.S.T.I.S and of the authority designated by M.A.A.
(3): Upon request by a.S.I.M., the holder is obliged to supply propagating material in order to verify whether the variety was maintained adequately or whether the protected variety still satisfies the distinctness, uniformity or stability conditions.

(4)The holder is obliged to submit information and documents attesting the existence of the protected variety upon request by a.S.I.M.

(5) Where the holder does not comply with the requests by a.S.I.M. and lor I.ST.I.S or by the authority designated by M.A.A., a.S.I.M. shall declare his rights under the variety patent forfeit, in accordance with Art. 31 (1) (a) from the law.

Rule 33

Transfer of variety rights

(1): The transfer of rights on the variety is performed in accordance with Article 34 of the Law and can be total or in part.
(2): Where the protected varieties are pendent of other protected varieties the transfer of rights must be total and with the first protected variety holder's consent.
(3): The request for transfer of rights will be sent to OSIM accompanied by the documents as the case may be:

a) assignment contract
b) licence contract
c) act of legal or testamentary successions
d) other documents for proving the new holder.

(4) The transfer of rights shall not affect the previous rights of third parties.

(5): The assignment or licence contract shall be registered in RNCBS or in RNBSP simultaneously with its publishing in BOPI-SSPBS and it shall take effects to third parties beginning with the date of registration.
(6): The registration according to para (5) will be made on condition of payment of the fee provided for in the Annex to the Law.

Rule 34

Assignment Contract

(1) The assignment is made in writing by an assignment contract in which the identification data of the breeder and of the person to whom the is assignment was made are mentioned, the object of assignment, also the data and the interested parties signatures in authentical form.

Rule 35
Licence contract

(1): The licence can be exclusive when it is granted only to one person or nonexclusive when it is granted to more interested persons.
(4): The licence of a non-exclusive licence has no right to grant the rights of exploitation of the protected variety to third parties.
(5): The non-exclusive licence may be registered at request In RNBSP on condition of payment of the prescribed fee specified in the Annex of the Law.
(6): At the holder's request and on the condition of payment of the legal fee, OSIM publishes in BOPI the offer for granting the licences for a protected variety and the identification data of the holder in order to be contacted by interested persons.

Rule 36
Compulsory license

(1): Any interested person may request to OSIM the granting of a compulsory licence in the conditions set up in Article 37 of the Law.
(2): The request for a compulsory licence must contain the applicant's identification data, the reason of requesting the grant of a compulsory licence for the protected variety. documents to proof his competence, finances and facilities to exploit in good conditions.
(3): The request must contain the proof of payment of the fee specified in the Annex of the Law.
(4): Compulsory licence confers to the licensee an non-exclusive right of exploitation of the protected variety.
(5): Compulsory licence being non-exclusive does not prevent the variety patent holder from exploiting and/or from granting licences to third parties.
(6): OSIM shall grant compulsory licences at the request of an interested person, only after substantiated analysis and if necessary asking the advice of professional organizations.
(7): The Board of Appeal shall establish the specific conditions for exploitatio n of the protected variety, the duration and the amount of compensation payable to

the holder.

(8): Non-compliance of the licencee with the conditions of exploiting the variety may determine the withdrawal of the licence by OSIM.
(9): Compulsory licence may be withdrawn to the request of the holder on justified grounds.
(10): The withdrawal of a compulsory licence shall be made by the Board of Appeal of OSIM.
(11): OSIM may extend a compulsory licence if the matter of public interest is maintained and the conditions of granting are unchanged.
(12): Decisions of granting or withdrawal a compulsory licence shall be notified to the parties within 15 days from pronunciation and they are published in BOPISSPBS and may be appealed against according to Article 38 of the Law.

Rule 37

(1): All decisions made by OSIM may be appealed against before the Board of Appeal within three months from communication.
(2): Appeals or requests for revocation, cancellation or revalidation of the variety patent shall be made in writing and accompanied by substantiating documents and the proof of payment of the fee.
(3): The Board of Appeal will be different from the examination committee and will consist of a president and 2 or 4 members. depending on the grounds of appea I, in its composition being designated M.A.A. and OSIM experts as the case may be; one of the members of the Board of Appeal will be a legal adviser of OSIM.
(4): the members of the Board of Appeal will be approved by the order of OSIM's Director General.
(5): The Board of Appeal shall analyse the requests within 3 months from th e date of filing at OSIM.
(6): For justified cases, which require the repetition of the growing tests, the time limit for the examination can be extended.

Chapter X
Rule 38

Competence

(1) For the implementing of Art. 44 para (2) of the Law, OSIM's competences

are:

a) registers the variety patent applications

b) publishes in BOPI -SSPBS the variety patent applications having official filing date c) examines the variety patent application as to form and substantive respectively to be in conformity with Rules 15 and 16

d) sends the formally and substantively examined and admitted application to the national competent authority for validation when the applicant filed the findings after technical examination or for organising growing tests in order to establish distinctness, uniformity and stability of the candidate variety.

e) grants and issues variety patents and establishes the final description based on findings sent by \STIS or by the competent authority designated by M.A.A. in a standardized form.

f) organizes and keeps RNCBS and RNBSP.

(2) OSIM periodically issues BOPI-SSPBS comprising all information regarding the variety patent applications and the granted variety patents.

(3) OSIM publishes in BOPI the information as follows:
a) variety patents applications
b) the denominations of the varieties
c) registered denominations for the protected varieties

d) the withdrawn variety patents applications
e) the rejected applications
f) variety patents granted
g) the changing of persons respectively applicants and holders
h) the changing of authorized agents
I) the invalidation of variety patents
j) licences
k) all modifications and observations.

(4): All information mentioned shall be registered in an electronic form on CO In order to ensure the changing of information with offices and national administrations from other states and with organizations and international specialised bodies.
(5): OSIM establishes together with M. A. A. for every species the characteristics to be mentioned in the technical questionnaire and In the standardized description, these documents being part of the variety patent application filed with OSIM for examination and for granting the variety patent.
(6): For the representation of the applicants by an authorised agent in the procedure of examination, OSIM together with M.A.A. organise training courses and authorise them.
(7): M.A.A. for the implementation of Article 18 and 19 of the Law has the competences:

a) establishes the methodology of conducting the growing tests and organising the trials in the field and/or in greenhouses in conformity with the existing experience in the country and in accordance with international guidelines,

b) establishes the flow of technical examination of plant varieties,

c) cooperates with OSIM, breeders' national association, variety patents, holders association, seed and plant, material multiplication producers associations and with other bodies specified in Article 44 para (3) lit. b) of the Law.

d) establishes different criteria of evaluation of the new varieties of plants and

of the changing of the methodology and appoints experts or researcher-breeders to produce the methodology of conducting the growing tests and identifying new varieties and species of plants.

e) designates crop experts for the OSIM's Board of Appeal in cases of appeal in which technical examination of the candidate variety is involved.

Rule 39
Time limits

(1): Time limits established on day basis comprise calendar days and do not include the first and the last day. Monthly time limits are considered to elapse in the day of the next month equivalent to the day on which the documents were sent.
(2): The time limit beginning with the day of 29,30 or 31 of the month and ending in a month not having such a day shall be the first day of the next month.
(3): The time limit ending on a holiday will be extended to the end of the first working day.
(5): Procedural documents sent to OSIM by mail shall be considered to observe the time limits, if they were mailed before the end of the time limit.
(6): Non-compliance with the time limits notified by OSIM for sending the procedural documents shall not result in sanctions provided for in the Law, if the applicant proves that he was prevented from doing that, by circumstances beyond his will and if he complies with the procedure, within two months.

Rule 40

Forms

(1): In the filing procedure before OSIM, standardized forms shall be used.
(2): OSIM shall furnish upon request the forms specified at para (1).

Rule 41

National Register of Variety Patent Applications

In National Register of Variety Patent Applications (RNCBS) are published the indications as follows:

a) number of the application

b) species, botanical taxon and the denomination

c) official filing date

d) name and address of the applicant

e) name and address of the breeder

f) name and address of the agent

g) modifications in the legal status.

Rule 42

National Register of Protected Varieties

In the National Register of Protected Varieties several indications are registered:

a) date and number of the application filed with OSIM

b) priority date

c) official filing date

d) name and the address of the applicant

e) State on which territory the applicant has the place of residence

f) name and address of the agent

g) name and address of the breeder

h) botanical taxon

I) final denomination of the variety

j) name/denomination and address/ holder's headquarter

k) changing of the address and of the holder's name

I) any modifications or transfer of rights

m) payment of issuing and maintenance of variety patent fees

n) variety patent holder

0) declaration of renunciation to the variety patent

p) decision of annulment or invalidation of the variety patent, as the case may be.

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Microsoft Hotararea Guvernului nr. 200/ 2000 pentru aprobarea regulamentului pentru aplicarea Legii nr. 255/1998 privind protecţia noilor soiuri de plante - publicat în Monitorul Oficial nr.638/18.09.2007

Regulament pentru aplicarea Legii nr. 255/1998 privind protectia noilor soiuri de plante

CAPITOLUL I

Dispozitii generale

Regula 1 - Obiectul protectiei

Drepturile amelioratorului, asupra noilor soiuri de plante, protejate in conditiile legii, sunt recunoscute si aparate pe teritoriul Romaniei prin eliberarea unui brevet de soi de catre OSIM.

Regula 2 - Definitii

In sensul prezentului regulament se intelege prin:

a) "lege" - Legea nr. 255/1998 privind protectia noilor soiuri de plante, publicata in Monitorul Oficial al Romaniei Partea I, nr. 525 din 31 decembrie 1998.

b) "regulament" - Regulamentul pentru aplicarea Legii nr.255/1998 privind protectia noilor soiuri de plante.

c) OSIM - Oficiul de Stat pentru Inventii si Marci

d) MAA - Ministerul Agriculturii si Alimentatiei

e) "autoritatea nationala competenta" - Institutul de Stat pentru Testarea si Inregistrarea Soiurilor (ISTIS) sau o alta autoritate desemnata de M.A.A.

f) "Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri" - registrul in care se inscriu cererile de brevete de soiuri (RNCBS).

g) Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate - registrul in care se inscriu brevetele de soiuri acordate (RNBSP).

h) Buletinul Oficial de Proprietate Industriala - sectiunea soiuri protejate prin brevete de Soi (BOPI-SSPBS).

i) "mandatar autorizat" - persoana fizica sau juridica cu domiciliul sau sediul in Romania, atestata de OSIM si imputernicita de solicitant sau titular sa-l reprezinte in procedurile in fata OSIM.

j) "soi candidat" - soiul pentru care s-a depus la OSIM o cerere de brevet de soi.

k) "soi protejat" - soiul cultivat nou creat pentru care OSIM a acordat un brevet de soi.

l) "soi initial" - soiul protejat si care poate constitui material de baza pentru un soi nou, esential derivat.

m) "soi dependent" - soiul care, in vederea producerii, necesita folosirea repetata a unui soi initial, protejat, sau care este esential derivat dintr-un soi protejat, cu conditia ca la randul sau acesta sa nu fi fost si el esential derivat; soiul dependent poate face obiectul unui brevet de soi independent de soiul protejat, initial, daca indeplineste conditiile de distinctivitate, omogenitate si stabilitate, potrivit legii.

n) "soi esentialmente derivat" - soiul derivat dintr-un alt soi initial, protejat, daca este predominant derivat din soiul initial sau un alt soi care este predominant derivat din soiul initial si retine expresia caracteristicilor esentiale, rezultate dintr-un genotip al soiului initial sau dintr-o combinatie de genotipuri; soiul esential derivat trebuie sa se distinga clar de soiul initial, protejat, printr-una sau mai multe caracteristici ce pot fi precis descrise.

o) "soi modificat genetic" - orice soi obtinut prin folosirea tehnicilor de inginerie genetica.

p) "soi de arbori ornamentali" - soi de arbori apartinand oricarei specii horticole sau silvice asupra caruia s-a desfasurat o activitate de ameliorare.

r) "soi notoriu cunoscut" - soi prezent intr-o colectie de referinta recunoscuta, intr-o banca de gene sau intr-un catalog/registru oficial si care se poate reproduce si cultiva atunci cand este necesar.

Regula 3 – Reprezentarea

(1) Solicitantul sau titularul unui brevet de soi poate fi reprezentat in procedurile in fata OSIM printr-un mandatar autorizat cu domiciliul sau sediul in Romania.

(2) Solicitantul sau titularul unui brevet de soi care nu are domiciliul sau sediul pe teritoriul Romaniei va fi reprezentat obligatoriu in fata OSIM printr-un mandatar autorizat.

(3) Desemnarea mandatarului se face printr-o comunicare scrisa, transmisa la OSIM, denumita procura, in care este inscris numele si semnatura solicitantului sau titularului, dupa caz.

(4) Procura se va referi la o singura cerere de brevet de soi sau la un brevet de soi apartinand persoanei care a dat mandatul.

(5) Orice act solicitat prin mandatar cu privire la retragerea cererii de brevet de soi, de renuntare la brevetul de soi, precum si orice cerere vizand transferul de drepturi cu privire la un soi se vor face numai pe baza unui mandat special care sa mentioneze expres actul retragerii, renuntarii sau transmiterii.

(6) In cazul in care solicitantul este reprezentat prin mandatar, acesta poate semna cererea de brevet de soi pe baza procurii date de solicitant. Daca in termen de 3 luni de la depunerea cererii, procura nu este prezentata la OSIM, cererea se respinge in conditiile art.20 alin (2).

(7) Solicitantul sau titularul nu pot avea decat un singur mandatar, iar in caz ca sunt inscrisi in cerere sau intr-un alt act separat mai multi mandatari, nu va fi luat in considerare decat primul inscris.

CAPITOLUL II

Brevetabilitatea noilor soiuri de plante

Regula 4 - Conditii pentru acordarea protectiei

OSIM acorda un brevet pentru un nou soi daca sunt indeplinite cumulativ, conditiile prevazute in art.5 , respectiv noutate, distinctivitate, omogenitate si stabilitate in functie de grupa de specii din care face parte soiul pentru care se solicita protectie si daca acesta poarta o denumire corecta, conform cu art. 15.

Regula 5 - Noutatea

(1) Soiul nu isi pierde noutatea in sensul art.6 alin.(2) daca:

a) constituie obiectul unui contract prin care o persoana produce material de inmultire din soiul in cauza in numele amelioratorului ori a succesorului sau in drepturi cu conditia ca materialul de inmultire produs sa se intoarca la ameliorator sau la succesorul sau in drepturi si sa nu fie folosit pentru inmultirea unui alt soi,

b) constituie obiectul unui contract prin care o persoana desfasoara teste de crestere in camp sau in laborator sau cultiva soiul pe suprafete mici in vederea evaluarii soiului,

c) formeaza obiectul unei obligatii administrative in ceea ce priveste securitatea biologica sau inregistrarea soiurilor intr-un catalog oficial de soiuri admise pentru comert,

d) implica material recoltat ca subprodus, produs secundar sau surplus provenit de la soiul nou creat sau de la activitatile prevazute la pct.(1)lit.a) -c).

(2) In aplicarea art.6 alin.(2), nu sunt distrugatoare de noutate actele:

a) exploatarea comerciala a soiului de catre ameliorator in Romania, pana la un an inainte de transmiterea cererii la OSIM; amelioratorul poate vinde numai cu un an inainte de completarea cererii de brevet de soi, materialul de inmultire sau productia obtinuta in vederea verificarii pietii.

b) pentru soiurile create de solicitanti straini, exploatarea comerciala a soiului sau punerea la dispozitie a soiului in vederea comercializarii in alte state cu 4 ani inainte de depunerea cereri la OSIM; pentru speciile de pomi fructiferi, arbori precum si pentru vita de vie, exploatarea comerciala este de pana la 6 ani inainte de depunerea cererii la OSIM.

Regula 6 - Distinctivitatea

(1) Distinctivitatea se stabileste conform art.7, comparativ cu soiul martor si fata de orice alt soi notoriu cunoscut la data depunerii cererii de brevet de soi sau la data de prioritate revendicata, daca soiul candidat se deosebeste clar printr-unul sau mai multe caractere relevante.

(2) Caracterele morfologice, fiziologice si/sau biochimice, luate in considerare la examinarea soiului pentru stabilirea distinctivitatii sunt caracterele considerate relevante si independente de conditiile de mediu si usor de descris.

(3) Depunerea cererii de protectie pentru un nou soi sau inregistrarea unui soi inscris intr-un catalog de soiuri admise pentru comercializare face ca soiul sa fie considerat a fi parte integranta din soiurile notoriu cunoscute, cu conditia ca cererea sa conduca la acordarea si recunoasterea dreptului amelioratorului si ca soiul sa existe sub forma de material biologic.

(4) In aprecierea notorietatii unui soi pe teritoriul Romaniei pot fi prezentate documente si inscrisuri din care sa rezulte exploatarea soiului, inregistrarea intr-un catalog de soiuri oficial sau tinut de o asociatie profesionala inregistrata, daca este inclus intr-o colectie de referinta recunoscuta international sau intr-un stat membru al Uniunii Internationale privind Protectia Noilor Soiuri de Plante.

(5) De regula, la stabilirea distinctivitatii unui soi pot fi luate in considerare si caracterele care afecteaza valoarea agronomica a soiului; acestea se folosesc numai pentru unele specii agricole si in masura in care caracterele respective sunt agrobotanice fiind precise si nesupuse fluctuatiilor de mediu.

Regula 7 - Omogenitatea

(1) Omogenitatea se determina tinand seama de grupa de specii careia ii apartine si de variatiile interspecifice cunoscute ce se produc in timpul inmultirii sexuate sau vegetative, daca soiul ramane uniform in caracterele relevante folosite pentru stabilirea distinctivitatii si pentru descrierea soiului.

(2) Pentru soiurile care se inmultesc pe cale vegetativa si pentru soiurile care sunt obtinute din plante autopolenizatoare, gradul de omogenitate se stabileste in functie de specie.

(3) Pentru soiurile care apartin speciilor cu polenizare incrucisata si care au un grad mare de heterogenitate, nivelul de omogenitate cerut este masurat in relatie cu cel gasit la soiurile de comparatie.

Regula 8 - Stabilitatea

Stabilitatea unui soi candidat in sensul art.9 se determina dupa reproduceri repetate si in conformitate cu specificitatea fiecarui ciclu de reproducere a noului soi, daca ramane neschimbat in caracterele relevante folosite pentru examinarea distinctivitatii ca si pentru descrierea soiului.

CAPITOLUL III

Dreptul la protectie

Regula 9 - Dreptul la eliberarea brevetului de soi

(1) Persoana indreptatita la acordarea protectiei in sensul art.10 alin.(1) este amelioratorul care a creat, descoperit si dezvoltat noul soi.

(2) Daca amelioratorul a transmis drepturile sale asupra soiului printr-un contract de cesiune, licenta sau printr-o alta modalitate de transmitere a drepturilor, in conformitate cu prevederile art.35, acestea apartin succesorului sau in drepturi. Transmiterile se publica in BOPI.

(3) Daca doua sau mai multe persoane au creat, descoperit si dezvoltat noul soi impreuna, brevetul de soi se acorda in comun.

(4) Daca doua persoane au creat, descoperit si dezvoltat in mod independent acelasi soi, persoana indreptatita la eliberarea brevetului de soi este cea care a depus prima cerere de brevet de soi.

(5) Daca cererile pentru acelasi soi au fost depuse de doi solicitanti in aceeasi zi la OSIM, protectia se acorda ambilor solicitanti si soiul se va exploata in mod egal.

(6) Dreptul la eliberarea brevetului de soi poate apartine in comun amelioratorului si unei alte persoane, daca cei doi declara in scris ca vor sa detina acest drept in comun.

(7) Daca o persoana interesata notifica OSIM ca solicitantul nu este persoana indreptatita la protectie pentru un nou soi si ca stabilirea paternitatii noului soi face obiectul unui litigiu in curs de judecare, OSIM suspenda procedura de examinare a cererii de brevet de soi pana la comunicarea hotararii judecatoresti definitive si irevocabile la OSIM.

CAPITOLUL IV

Procedura de examinare a cererii de eliberare a brevetului de soi

Regula 10 - Depunerea cererii de brevet de soi

(1) Orice persoana fizica sau juridica, care doreste sa protejeze un soi nou creat si are dreptul la eliberarea brevetului poate sa depuna cererea la OSIM, direct sau printr-un mandatar autorizat.

(2) Depunerea cererii de brevet de soi la OSIM se poate face:

a) direct si cu confirmarea de primire de la Registratura Generala a OSIM;

b) prin posta, trimisa recomandat cu confirmare de primire;

c) prin mijloace electronice, cu transmiterea ulterioara a originalului prin posta.

(3) Registratura Generala mentioneaza pe cerere anul, luna si ziua primirii cererii in ordine cronologica.

Regula 11 - Continutul cererii de brevet de soi

(1) Cererea de brevet de soi se intocmeste in doua exemplare pe formulare tip si se refera la un singur soi.

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

a) solicitarea expresa de eliberare a unui brevet de soi;

b) numele, prenumele si adresa sau sediul solicitantului sau solicitantilor;

c) numele, prenumele/denumirea si adresa/sediul amelioratorului daca acesta nu este si solicitantul cererii;

d) cand solicitantul este o persoana fizica sau juridica straina, denumirea statului al carui cetatean este, sau denumirea statului in care acesta isi are domiciliul sau sediul;

e) cand este reprezentat de un mandatar autorizat, numele/denumirea si domiciliul/sediul acestuia;

f) denumirea taxonului botanic prezentata in limba latina si insotita de denumirea populara a speciei careia ii apartine soiul pentru care se solicita protectie;

g)propunerea de denumire a soiului facuta de catre ameliorator pe un formular tip, separat;

h) in cazul in care se revendica prioritatea unei prime cereri din alt stat, o declaratie de prioritate din care sa rezulte data depozitului reglementar constituit in acel stat;

i) o descriere standardizata a soiului prezentat, in conformitate cu normele internationale privind descrierea soiurilor protejate si insotita de cel putin o reproducere color;

j) originea geografica a soiului;

k) semnatura solicitantului sau a mandatarului sau, dupa caz.

(3) Cererea trebuie sa fie insotita de:

a) dovada platii taxei de inregistrare a cererii,

b) procura de reprezentare a solicitantului sau titularului intocmita in limba romana sau insotita de traducerea autentificata, in limba romana;

c) o declaratie din partea solicitantului, facuta pe propria raspundere, din care sa rezulte ca soiul nu a fost exploatat comercial in sensul prevederilor art.6 alin.(1).

d) numele amelioratorului si o declaratie din partea solicitantului din care sa rezulte ca dupa propria sa cunostinta nici o alta persoana nu a mai fost implicata in munca de creare, descoperire si dezvoltare a noului soi.

e) actul de cesiune a dreptului la eliberarea brevetului de soi, cand solicitantul nu este aceeasi persoana cu amelioratorul;

f) documente care confirma prioritatea dintr-un alt stat.

(4) Cererea poate fi insotita de orice alte documente ce dau indicatii despre o prima cerere de protectie pentru soiul in cauza, depusa intr-o alta tara.

(5) Intreaga documentatie care insoteste cererea trebuie depusa in limba romana.

(6) In cazul revendicarii prioritatii pentru o prima cerere depusa in alt stat, OSIM va cere solicitantului ca in termen de 3 luni de la depunerea cererii sa transmita o traducere autentificata in limba romana, a acestei cereri.

Regula 12 - Data depozitului reglementar al cererii de brevet de soi

(1) Data depozitului reglementar a unei cereri de brevet de soi este data depunerii la OSIM a cererii de brevet de soi continand cel putin elementele prevazute la art.12 alin.(1) lit. a) - d), redactate in limba romana si insotita de dovada platii taxei de inregistrare a cererii conform art. 12 alin.(2) lit.a).

(2) Data depozitului reglementar este cea prevazuta la art.13 alin.(1) si pentru solicitantii, persoane fizice sau juridice care au depus cererea intr-o limba straina cu conditia ca in termen de 3 luni de la inregistrarea cererii de brevet de soi, sa transmita la OSIM, traducerea autentificata, a documentatiei in limba romana.

(3) In termen de doua luni de la data primirii cererii, OSIM examineaza daca aceasta indeplineste conditiile prevazute in art.12 alin. (1) lit. a) - d) si alin.(2) lit.a). In caz afirmativ OSIM decide atribuirea datei de depozit reglementar, inscrierea datelor cererii in Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri, notifica aceasta solicitantului si publica elementele de identificare ale cererii in BOPI-SSPBS.

(4) In cazul in care din cerere lipsesc unele din elementele prevazute la pct. (3) OSIM notifica aceasta solicitantului acordandu-i un termen de maxim 3 luni pentru remedierea acestora in vederea acordarii datei de depozit reglementar.

(5) Daca solicitantul completeaza cererea in termenul de la pct. (4), data depozitului reglementar va fi data primirii documentatiei la OSIM.

(6) In cazul in care solicitantul nu completeaza cererea in termenele stabilite, OSIM va considera ca cererea nu a fost depusa si va inapoia documentatia solicitantului cu restituirea taxelor de examinare a cererii, daca acestea au fost platite.

Regula 13 - Dreptul de prioritate

(1) Dispozitiile art.14 alin.(1) si (2) se aplica si pentru cererile de brevet de inventie sau pentru alte cereri avand ca obiect noi soiuri de plante daca legislatia in baza careia au fost depuse prevede criterii de acordare a protectiei identice, respectiv distinctivitate, omogenitate si stabilitate.

(2) Daca o prioritate a fost revendicata in conditiile art.14 alin.(2) solicitantul va face o mentiune expresa in cererea de brevet de soi depusa la OSIM si va depune documentele de identificare ale primului depozit de la administratia nationala a tarii unde a fost constituit.

(3) In scopul dovedirii prioritatii din alta tara solicitantul trebuie sa transmita la OSIM in termen de 3 luni de la depunerea cererii de brevet de soi o traducere autentificata dupa documentele de prioritate prevazute la pct.(2), in limba romana.

(4) Daca solicitantul nu respecta termenul prevazut la pct. (3) si nu achita taxa de prioritate, OSIM decide nerecunoasterea prioritatii invocate.

(5) Depunerea altor cereri in termenul de 12 luni de la constituirea primului depozit, publicarea datelor de identificare ale altor cereri, folosirea soiului pentru care s-a solicitat protectia, nu pot fi motive de respingere a cererii ulterioare in acest interval de timp si nu dau nastere la drepturi pentru terti.

(6) Nerecunoasterea prioritatii pentru un nou soi va fi considerata ca si cum cererea a fost depusa prima data la OSIM.

Regula 14 - Denumirea soiului

(1) Soiul protejat va purta o denumire generica ce permite identificarea acestuia pe piata. Denumirea este mentionata in brevetul de soi.

(2) Denumirea soiului va fi propusa de solicitant si va fi transmisa la OSIM odata cu cerrea de brevet de soi fiind completata pe un formular tip.

(3) De regula denumirea soiului este alcatuita dintr-un cuvant sau dintr-o combinatie de cuvinte cu sau fara semnificatie, la care se pot adauga litere sau cifre astfel ca acel soi sa poata fi diferentiat de orice alta denumire a altui soi existent, cunoscut, protejat sau inscris intr-un catalog de soiuri protejate sau de comert si care apartine unei specii sau subspecii, varietati, subvarietati de plante, inrudita indeaproape cu soiul si de rangul botanic cel mai scazut pentru care se solicita protectie.

(4) Denumirea noului soi nu trebuie sa fie compusa numai din cifre cu exceptia cazurilor recunoscute ca facand parte din practica internationala de desemnare pentru denumirea acelei specii.

(5) Este interzisa folosirea denumirii soiului protejat pentru desemnarea altui soi inrudit si care ar putea da nastere la confuzii cu privire la caracterele sale distincte, pe teritoriul Romaniei, pe toata perioada de valabilitate a brevetului de soi.

(6) Interdictia prevazuta la pct.(5) se mentine si dupa expirarea perioadei de valabilitate a brevetului de soi, daca exploatarea soiului continua sau daca denumirea cade sub incidenta art.7 .

(7) Orice persoana care ofera spre vanzare, vinde sau comercializeaza intr-un alt mod material de inmultire apartinand soiului protejat este obligata sa foloseasca denumirea soiului. Aceasta dispozitie se aplica si pentru soiuri la care se refera prevederile art.27 alin. (2) lit.b) .

(8) Daca o cerere de acordare de brevet pentru acelasi soi este depusa in Romania si in alte state, soiul se inregistreaza cu aceeasi denumire in afara de cazurile cand:

(a) denumirile sunt apreciate de OSIM ca fiind nepotrivite pentru acest soi;

(b) denumirile au fost folosite anterior de catre terti pentru acel soi sau pentru un alt soi creand confuzie pe piata autohtona.

In situatiile prevazute la literele a) si b), OSIM cere solicitantului sa propuna o alta denumire pentru soiul candidat.

(9) Inregistrarea denumirii unui soi va fi refuzata daca va contine un element de natura, sa aduca atingere sau sa creeze un risc de confuzie cu o alta denumire comerciala a altui soi sau a unei marci, etc. sau a unui alt drept de proprietate industriala sau intelectuala protejat anterior.

(10) Daca OSIM considera ca sunt indeplinite conditiile prevazute la art.15, denumirea propusa de solicitant pentru soiul candidat la protectie, este publicata in BOPI-SSPBS.

(11) In termen de 3 luni de la data publicarii, orice persoana interesata poate formula obiectii in scris si motivat referitoare la denumirea soiului candidat.

(12) OSIM comunica obiectiile solicitantului si il invita sa depuna observatiile sale in termen de 30 de zile de la data primirii notificarii;

(13) In termenul acordat de OSIM la pct. (12) solicitantul poate transmite o noua propunere de denumire a soiului;

(14) Noua propunere de denumire va fi supusa examinarii si va fi publicata in BOPI-SSPBS, daca indeplineste conditiile prevazute in anexa la lege.

(15) Cand noua denumire nu este in conformitate cu prevederile art.15, OSIM va notifica aceasta solicitantului cerandu-i sa propuna o alta denumire. Daca solicitantul nu raspunde, cererea de brevet de soi va fi respinsa.

(16) Denumirea inregistrata va fi mentionata in brevetul de soi.

(17) OSIM radiaza denumirea inregistrata daca:

a) se constata ca a fost inregistrata cu nerespectarea cel putin a uneia din conditiile prevazute la art.15 alin.(1)-(9).

b) solicitantul cere aceasta, demonstrand ca exista un interes legitim

c) exista o hotarare judecatoreasca definitiva si irevocabila care interzice folosirea denumirii pentru acel soi

(18) OSIM va informa solicitantul asupra motivelor radierii prevazute la pct.(17) lit. a) sau lit. c) si ii va cere sa propuna o noua denumire in termen de 30 de zile de la data primirii notificarii.

(19) Denumirea propusa va fi supusa procedurii de examinare si publicare.

(20) Orice persoana interesata, inainte de a depune o cerere de brevet de soi si pentru a propune o denumire corecta pentru soiul candidat la protectie poate solicita la OSIM efectuarea unei cercetari documentare preliminare cu plata taxelor prevazute in anexa la lege.

Regula 15 - Examinarea formala a cererii de brevet de soi

(1) Examinarea formala a cererii se face de catre OSIM si consta in a analiza daca documentatia depusa de solicitant satisface cerintele art.10 alin.(1)-(4) si art.12 .

(2) OSIM examineaza in conformitate cu prevederile art.10 alin.(1)÷(4) daca:

a) solicitantul, persoana indreptatita la eliberarea brevetului de soi este amelioratorul;

b) dreptul la eliberarea brevetului apartine mai multor amelioratori;

c) dreptul la eliberarea brevetului apartine in comun amelioratorului si altei persoane, conform unei declaratii scrise si semnate de acestea;

d) amelioratorul fiind salariat si creand soiul in timpul serviciului, dreptul la brevet apartine unitatii al carei angajat este.

(3) OSIM examineaza in conformitate cu prevederile art.12 daca cererea de brevet de soi contine:

a) numele/denumirea si adresa/sediul solicitantului;

b) propunerea de denumire pentru noul soi;

c) taxonul botanic (denumirea in limba latina, a genului, familiei, speciei, subspeciei sau varietatii careia ii apartine soiul), denumirea populara si/sau comerciala;

d) originea geografica a noului soi;

e) prezentarea noului soi in forma standardizata conform normelor internationale pentru descrierea unui nou soi in functie de specia de apartenenta; daca aceasta nu este completa solicitantului i se acorda 2 luni pentru completare;

f) prioritatea anterioara a unei prime cereri pentru soiul ce face obiectul cererii de brevet de soi, daca aceasta a fost revendicata, precum si documentele de prioritate.

g) daca cererea este insotita de dovada de plata a taxei de inregistrare a cererii;

h) daca exista procura de reprezentare semnata de solicitant;

i) declaratia prin care solicitantul declara pe propria raspundere ca nu a comercializat noul soi in conformitate cu prevederile art.6 .

j) numele si adresa amelioratorului sau amelioratorilor implicati in crearea sau descoperirea si dezvoltarea noului soi;

k) actul de cesiune a dreptului la eliberarea brevetului de soi daca este cazul;

l) alte documentatii si informatii cu privire la provenienta si conditiile de cultura pentru soiul candidat.

(4) Cand dupa examinarea cererii se constata ca sunt indeplinite prevederile art.12, cererea de brevet de soi primeste o data de depozit reglementar, se inregistreaza in Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri si se notifica solicitantului;

(5) Cererile inregistrate se publica in BOPI-SSPBS in termen de maximum trei luni de la data depozitului reglementar.

(6) Pentru fiecare soi candidat se publica specia si denumirea soiului sau denumirea provizorie, data de depozit a cererii, prioritatea invocata unde este cazul, numele si adresa solicitantului.

(7) Cand cererea este incompleta, incorecta sau contine neclaritati OSIM notifica solicitantului neregulile si ii acorda un termen de 30 de zile de la primirea notificarii, pentru remedierea deficientelor.

(8) Daca solicitantul nu raspunde si nici nu solicita o prelungire a termenului acordat remedierii deficientelor si nu-si completeaza descrierea standardizata in intervalul acordat, OSIM respinge cererea.

Regula 16 - Examinarea in fond a cererii de brevet de soi

(1) Cererea care indeplineste conditiile prevazute la art.16 alin.(1) va fi examinata in fond pe baza informatiilor transmise de solicitant:

a) daca cererea se refera la un soi in intelesul art.2 lit. a);

b) daca soiul se incadreaza in taxonul botanic declarat;

c) daca soiul candidat este nou conform prevederilor art.6;

d) daca denumirea propusa de solicitant este corecta si indeplineste prevederile art.15 .

(2) OSIM nu va lua o decizie de respingere a cererii de brevet de soi decat dupa notificarea catre solicitant a motivelor respingerii, acordandu-i un termen de maximum 3 luni pentru remedierea acestora.

(3) La cererea expresa a solicitantului termenul prevazut la pct. (3) poate fi prelungit de catre OSIM, cu inca doua luni conform prevederilor art.17 alin.(3) .

(4) Daca cererea indeplineste cumulat prevederile art.6, 10, 12 si 16, OSIM hotaraste inceperea examinarii tehnice cerand solicitantului sa transmita materialul biologic de inmultire necesar efectuarii testelor de crestere.

(5) In cazul in care solicitantul nu raspunde in termenul acordat OSIM respinge cererea de brevet de soi.

Regula 17 - Examinarea tehnica a noului soi

(1) ISTIS sau autoritatea desemnata de M.A.A. examineaza in conformitate cu art. 18, daca:

a) soiul candidat apartine taxonului botanic declarat de solicitant si identificat in cadrul examinarii formale

b) soiul este distinct, omogen si stabil conform art.7-9

c) redactarea descrierii oficiale a noului soi este efectuata astfel incat sa permita diferentierea acestuia fata de un alt soi cunoscut.

(2) Daca solicitanul nu prezinta rezultatele testarii noului soi efectuata de o alta autoritate competenta, recunoscuta international, se vor organiza teste de crestere autohtone in vederea stabilirii distinctivitatii, omogenitatii si stabilitatii:

(a) de catre ISTIS sau de catre o alta autoritate desemnata in numele ei de catre M.A.A.

(b) de catre solicitant la cererea ISTIS sau a OSIM pentru speciile rare pentru care nu exista colectia de referinta.

(3) In vederea desfasurarii corecte a testeor de crestere, solicitantul va furniza materiale informative cu privire la modul de cultura a soiului candiat.

(4) In situatia in care nu au fost efectuate testari de catre ISTIS sau autoritatea desemnata de MAA sau de o autoritate recunoscuta international, OSIM poate hotara acordarea protectiei pe baza raportului tehnic efectuat de o alta autoritate competenta daca solicitantul este de acord sa cumpere acest raport tehnic, platind taxa prevazuta in anexa la lege.

(5) In vederea efectuarii testelor de crestere solicitantul este obligat sa furnizeze fara plata, material de inmultire in cantitatile cerute de catre executantul testarilor si sa notifice in scris atat autoritatii nationale cat si OSIM, cantitatea si felul materialului de inmultire transmis precum si data la care a fost livrat.

(6) In cazuri exceptionale durata de testare se poate prelungi de catre ISTIS sau la cererea solicitantului cu plata taxei legale, prevazuta in anexa la lege.

(7) In caz de respingere a protectiei si a contestarii acestei decizii, solicitantul poate cere repetarea experimentarilor, cu plata taxei de verificare a testelor de crestere, prevazuta in anexa la lege.

(8) Pe baza experimentarilor practice efectuate, ISTIS elaboreaza un raport tehnic ce trebuie sa contina caracterele morfologice si fiziologice relevante care fac soiul distinct, omogen si stabil fata de orice alt soi notoriu cunoscut apartinand aceluiasi taxon botanic.

(9) Raportul tehnic efectuat de o autoritate internationala sau de catre ameliorator se poate supune analizei formale a autoritatii nationale competente in vederea validarii sau invalidarii acestuia;

(10) Daca OSIM constata ca testele sunt invalidate de catre autoritatea nationala competenta, notifica rezultatul solicitantului acordandu-i un termen de 3 luni pentru raspuns. La expirarea acestui termen daca solicitantul nu va raspunde, OSIM ia hotararea de respingere a cererii de brevet de soi si o publica, in BOPI-SSPBS.

(11) Pe intreaga perioada de examinare a noului soi OSIM si autoritatea nationala competenta se vor informa reciproc asupra stadiului examinarii cererii de brevet de soi in vederea acordarii protectiei.

(12) Hotararea de respingere poate fi contestata de solicitant la comisia de reexaminare a OSIM in termen de 3 luni de la comunicare. Contestatia va fi formulata in scris, motivata si cu plata taxei prevazuta in anexa la lege.

(13) Comisia de reexaminare hotaraste dupa caz:

a) admiterea contestatiei si acordarea brevetuluipentru soiul candidat

b) admiterea contestatiei si retransmiterea cererii pentru examinarea in fond iar daca este cazul, refacerea testelor de crestere

c) respingerea contestatiei si mentinerea hotararii de respingere a cererii de brevet de soi.

(14) Hotararile luate de comisia de reexaminare se inscriu in Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri si se publica in BOPI-SSPBS.

Regula 18 - Testarea noului soi

(1) Autoritatea nationala competenta in functie de specia careia apartine soiul organizeaza si conduce teste de crestere cu mijloace proprii si poate sa ia in considerare si/sau sa inspecteze culturile si testele efectuate de ameliorator si/sau solicitant si sa aprecieze daca soiul in cauza indeplineste conditiile de distinctivitate, omogenitate si stabilitate.

(2) Metodologia de conducere a testelor de crestere este stabilita de catre Ministerul Agriculturii si Alimentatiei impreuna cu OSIM pe baza normelor existente pe plan international, prezentate in forma standardizata si completate cu normele nationale existente pentru analizarea soiurilor introduse in lista oficiala a soiurilor sau cu cele considerate specifice conditiilor pedoclimatice ale tarii, pentru fiecare specie in parte.

(3) In cazul efectuarii testelor de crestere conform art.19 alin. (3) OSIM impreuna cu autoritatea nationala competenta stabilesc cantitatea de material de inmultire necesara organizarii experimentarilor, locul si adresa la care trebuie transmise de catre solicitant.

(4) OSIM si/sau ISTIS, sau autoritatea desemnata de MAA in vederea organizarii si desfasurarii in bune conditii a examinarii tehnice pot cere solicitantului informatii, materiale si documente pentru aceasta, acordand un termen pentru transmiterea lor.

(5) Daca solicitantul nu raspunde la cererile de la pct. (4) in termenul acordat si nici nu cere o amanare in care sa prezinte o motivatie temeinica, cererea de brevet de soi se respinge.

(6) Solicitantul are dreptul pe perioada de testare, oricand, la solicitarea sa expresa, sa poata vizita culturile experimentale efectuate in vederea stabilirii distinctivitatii, omogenitatii si stabilitatii pentru soiul sau.

Regula 19 - Hotararile OSIM

(1) Daca sunt indeplinite conditiile de la art.7-9 si art.16, OSIM, ia hotararea de acordare a brevetului de soi si o publica in BOPI. In caz contrar noul soi se considera necalificat pentru protectie si cererea de brevet de soi va fi respinsa.

(2) Hotararea de respingere nu se ia inainte ca OSIM sa transmita solicitantului in scris motivele respingerii cererii, si sa-i acorde un termen de cel putin 3 luni pentru a formula un raspuns. Pentru motive intemeiate solicitantul poate cere o amanare in vederea formularii unui raspuns pertinent.

(3) In termen de 3 luni de la data publicarii orice persoana interesata poate formula in scris si motivat obiectii, la acordarea brevetului de soi si cere revocarea, cu conditia platii taxei de revocare prevazuta in anexa la lege.

(4) Odata devenita publica, descrierea oficiala poate fi adaptata la cererea titularului sau de catre OSIM pe intreaga perioada de valabilitate a brevetului de soi fara ca intinderea protectiei sa fie afectata, daca evolutia cunostintelor agrobiologice si/sau metodologice de descriere a soiului o cer. Adaptarile se fac de catre OSIM numai dupa ce s-a cerut acordul titularului si au avut loc consultari reciproce. Adaptarile descrierii oficiale se publica in BOPI-SSPBS.

(5) Contestatiile se solutioneaza de catre comisia de reexaminare din cadrul OSIM, acestea fiind depuse si formulate in conformitate cu prevederile art.38 alin. (1) in termen de 3 luni de la publicarea hotararilor luate.

Regula 20 - Protectia provizorie

(1) Solicitantul cererii de brevet de soi poate cere sa se interzica tertilor sa efectueze actele prevazute la art. 27 , numai dupa publicarea cererii de brevet de soi, in termenul prevazut la art.16 alin.(3) din lege.

(2) In cazul in care cererea de brevet de soi a fost respinsa, solicitantul nu beneficiaza de drepturile prevazute la art.27.

Regula 21 - Prelungirea termenului limita

(1) Solicitantul poate cere prelungirea termenului de examinare pana la un an, maximum.

(2) Prelungirea termenului de examinare se face printr-o cerere scrisa transmisa la OSIM in care se vor preciza motivele si care va fi insotita de plata taxei prevazuta in anexa la lege, in functie de procedura la care se refera.

Regula 22 - Retragerea cererii de brevet de soi

(1) Solicitantul poate sa retraga cererea de brevet de soi depusa la OSIM in orice moment pana la luarea hotararii de acordare a brevetului de soi.

(2) Daca procedura de examinare tehnica a soiului a inceput, taxele de examinare nu se restituie solicitantului.

(3) Retragerea cererii de catre solicitant se face prin depunerea unei notificari la OSIM.

Regula 23 - Revocarea hotararii de acordare a brevetului de soi

(1) Hotararea de acordare a brevetului de soi se publica in BOPI-SSPBS.

(2) In termen de 3 luni de la data publicarii orice persoana interesata poate cere revocarea hotararii numai pentru urmatoarele obiectii:

a) soiul nu este nou;

b) soiul nu este distinct;

c) soiul nu este omogen;

d) soiul nu este stabil;

e) solicitantul nu este persoana indreptatita la protectie;

f) denumirea soiului nu este corespunzatoare sau incalca unele drepturi anterioare.

Cererea de revocare se face in scris, motivat si va fi insotita de dovada de plata a taxei de examinare a cererii de revocare prevazuta de lege si de documente in sustinerea revocarii.

(3) In termen de maximum 3 luni de la depunere, comisia de reexaminare OSIM va analiza cererea de revocare si va lua o hotarare cu privire la soiul candidat.

(4) In vederea luarii unei decizii, OSIM poate solicita persoanei care a formulat cererea de revocare, documente si informatii suplimentare cu privire la soiul in cauza.

(5) In cazul in care cererea de revocare se intemeiaza pe neindeplinirea conditiei de distinctivitate,omogenitate si/sau stabilitate, comisia de reexaminare poate solicita repetarea testelor de catre ISTIS sau de o alta autoritate desemnata de MAA.

(6) Comisia de reexaminare poate solicita analizarea soiului candidat de catre experti atestati in culturile respective.

(7) In aceste cazuri solicitantul va fi informat de catre OSIM ca a fost formulata o cerere de revocare si i se va acorda un termen pentru raspuns.

(8) In cazul repetarii testelor de crestere solicitantul va putea inspecta loturile de cultura pentru a-si putea sustine soiul.

(9) In termen de 15 zile de la pronuntare, hotararea comisiei de reexaminare se va comunica atat solicitantului, cat si persoanei care a cerut revocarea.

(10) Hotararile ramase definitive si irevocabile se publica in BOPI-SSPBS in termen de 30 de zile si sunt supuse cailor de atac prevazute la art.38.

Regula 24 - Eliberarea brevetului de soi si inregistrarea denumirii soiului

(1) Daca dupa examinarea soiului se stabileste ca acesta indeplineste cumulativ conditiile de la art.5 si solicitantul este indreptatit eliberarea brevetului de soi, comisia de examinare din OSIM hotaraste acordarea brevetului de soi. In termen de 6 luni de la publicarea hotararii in BOPI-SSPBS, directorul general al OSIM elibereaza un brevet de soi la care se anexeaza descrierea oficiala a soiului protejat.

(2) Soiul protejat este inscris in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate acesta fiind deschis tertilor pentru inspectarea publica, contra taxei de inspectare prevazuta in anexa la lege.

(3) Cand cererea este depusa la OSIM de doi sau mai multi solicitanti, brevetul de soi insotit de descrierea oficiala se elibereaza primului solicitant, ceilalti fiind indreptatiti sa primeasca cate un duplicat sub conditia platii taxei prevazute in anexa la lege.

CAPITOLUL V

Regula 25 - Durata protectiei soiului

(1) Durata protectiei soiului este de 25 ani de la eliberarea brevetului de soi.

(2) Durata protectiei pentru noile soiuri de pomi fructiferi, vita de vie si arbori ornamentali incluzand si speciile silvice, este de 30 de ani de la eliberarea brevetului de soi.

(3) Pe intreaga durata a protectiei soiului, solicitantul va achita taxele anuale de mentinere in vigoare a brevetului de soi, la termenele prevazute in anexa la lege.

CAPITOLUL VI

Dreptul titularului

Regula 26 - Dreptul exclusiv al titularului brevetului de soi

In aplicarea prevederilor art.27, titularul brevetului de soi, beneficiaza de dreptul exclusiv de exploatare a noului soi si poate interzice tertilor sa efectueze, fara autorizatia sa, urmatoarele acte: producerea si reproducerea materialului biologic in vederea inmultirii, conditionarea in scopul inmultirii, oferirea spre vanzare sau vanzarea, exportul sau importul si depozitarea, in aceste scopuri.

Regula 27 - Exceptii de la dreptul exclusiv al titularului de brevet de soi

Orice persoana interesata, in conformitate cu art.28, poate sa efectueze, fara autorizatia titularului, urmatoarele acte:

a) folosirea soiului protejat in scop personal si necomercial, de exemplu de catre un fermier pentru necesitatile familiale sau de catre un amator in gradina sa.

b) folosirea soiului protejat in scopuri experimentale si in procesul de ameliorare care permite continuarea folosirii soiurilor protejate si asigurarea continuarii muncii de creatie de noi soiuri.

Regula 28 - Epuizarea dreptului titularului

(1) In sensul art.28 alin.(1) actele ce se refera la orice material din soiul protejat nu sunt considerate o incalcare a dreptului titularului pentru soiul protejat sau pentru un soi acoperit de prevederile art.27 daca a fost vandut sau comercializat de catre titular sau cu consimtamantul acestuia.

(2) Este considerat "material", conform pct. (1):

a) materialul de inmultire de orice fel

b) plantele intregi sau partile de plante si

c) orice produs obtinut direct din materialul recoltat.

CAPITOLUL VII

Incetarea efectelor brevetului de soi

Regula 29 - Anularea brevetului de soi

(1) Persoana interesata poate solicita la OSIM oricand in perioada de protectie a soiului, anulare a brevetului de soi, pentru oricare dintre motivele prevazute la art.30 alin.(2).

(2) Cererea de anulare a brevetului se prezinta Comisiei de reexaminare OSIM, in scris, motivata si insotita de documente de sustinere a anularii, precum si de dovada de plata a taxei legale.

(3) Comisia de reexaminare va anula brevetul de soi, daca:

a) persoana interesata dovedeste ca la data depunerii cererii de brevet de soi, acesta nu indeplinea conditia de noutate in intelesul art.6.

(b) persoana interesata dovedeste ca soiul nu era distinct in intelesul art.7 respectiv.

(d) nu era stabil in conformitate cu prevederile art.9 la data acordarii brevetului de soi.

(e) constata pe baza notificarii transmise de persoana interesata ca solicitantul nu era indreptatit la protectie.

(4) Daca o transmitere de drepturi asupra unui soi a avut loc si brevetul a fost eliberat cu nerespectarea art.10 alin.(1) , OSIM anuleaza brevetul acordat si elibereaza un alt brevet de soi persoanei careia i-a fost transmis dreptul la brevet.

(5) Comisia de reexaminare OSIM nu ia nici o hotarare inainte de a-i comunica solicitantului ca a fost depusa o cerere de anulare a brevetului de soi si de a-i da posibilitatea acestuia sa-si prezinte punctul de vedere in fata Comisiei.

(6) Hotararea Comisiei de reexaminare se comunica partilor in termen de 15 zile de la pronuntare si este supusa cailor de atac prevazut la art.38.

(7) Hotararea de anulare a brevetului de soi definitiva si irevocabila, se inscrie in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate si se publica in BOPI-SSPBS.

(8) Brevetul de soi se considera anulat incepand cu data la care s-a depus cererea de brevet de soi la OSIM.

Regula 30 - Decaderea din drepturi a titularului brevetului de soi

(1) OSIM nu va proceda la decaderea titularului din drepturi decat dupa notificarea catre titular a neindeplinirii uneia din conditiile prezentate la pct. (1) lit. a) si c) si acordarea unui termen de 3 luni pentru raspuns.

(2) Daca titularul nu raspunde in temenul acordat si nici nu cere o prelungire de termen in vederea remedierii deficientelor, OSIM decade titularul din drepturile conferite de brevetul de soi, inscrie decaderea in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate si o publica in BOPI-SSPBS aceasta producand efecte de la data inscrierii.

(3) Titularul beneficiaza de un termen de 6 luni de la publicarea decaderii din drepturi pentru a cere revalidarea brevetului de soi dupa remedierea deficientelor si achitarea taxei anuale aferente.

(4) Cererea de revalidare a brevetului de soi se depune la OSIM si va fi solutionata de comisia de reexaminare in functie de motivul pentru care titularul a fost decazut din drepturi.

(5) Hotararile comisiei de reexaminare, OSIM, de revalidare a brevetului de soi se comunica titularului in 15 zile de la pronuntare si pot fi supuse cailor de atac prevazute la art.38.

(6) Hotararile de revalidare, definitive si irevocabile se publica in BOPI-SSPBS.

(7) Savarsirea de catre terti a actelor prevazute in art.27, respectiv exploatarea soiului in scopuri comerciale in intervalul de timp dintre decaderea titularului din drepturi si revalidarea

brevetului de soi in conformitate cu prevederile art.31 alin.(5), nu constituie o incalcare a drepturilor titularului.

Regula 31 - Renuntarea la brevetul de soi

(1) Renuntarea la brevetul de soi se face printr-o declaratie scrisa, depusa la OSIM, semnata de titular.

(2) OSIM nu va inscrie renuntarea inainte de a notifica aceasta amelioratorului soiului sau persoanelor interesate si de a analiza obiectiile.

(3) Titularul, inainte de a renunta la brevetul de soi, va comunica amelioratorului intentia de renuntare.

(4) Amelioratorul are dreptul sa ceara titularului transmiterea drepturilor asupra brevetului de soi, iar titularul are obligatia de a acorda acest drept.

(5) Renuntarea la brevetul de soi sau, dupa caz, transmiterea dreptului asupra soiului protejat produce efecte de la data inscrierii in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate.

CAPITOLUL VIII

Exploatarea soiului protejat

Regula 32 - Mentinerea soiului protejat

(1) La cerere, titularul va furniza OSIM, ISTIS sau autoritatii desemnate de MAA, intr-un interval de timp prestabilit, esantioane din soiul protejat sau, unde este necesar, componente ale acestuia.

(2) OSIM poate solicita titularului sa mentina si sa conserve mostre de material de inmultire in numele OSIM, ISTIS sau a autoritatii desemnate de M.A.A.

(3) La cererea OSIM titularul este obligat sa furnizeze material de inmultire in vederea verificarii daca a fost mentinut corespunzator sau daca soiul protejat mai satisface conditiile de distinctivitate, omogenitate sau stabilitate.

(4) Titularul este obligat sa transmita la cererea OSIM informatii si documente in vederea verificarii existentei soiului protejat.

(5) Nerespectarea cererilor formulate de OSIM si/sau de ISTIS sau de autoritatea desemnata de MAA atrage dupa sine si decaderea titularului din drepturile conferite de brevetul de soi conform prevederilor art.31 alin.(1) lit.a).

Regula 33 - Transmiterea drepturilor asupra soiului

(1) Transmiterea drepturilor asupra soiului se face conform art.34 si poate fi totala sau partiala.

(2) In cazul soiurilor protejate dependente de alte soiuri protejate, transmiterea drepturilor este posibila numai in totalitate, cu acordul titularului primului soi protejat.

(3) Cererea de inscriere a transmiterii dreptului va fi depusa la OSIM si va fi insotita dupa caz de urmatoarele documente:

a) contract de cesiune

b) contract de licenta

c) act de succesiune legala/testamentara

d) alte documente care sa dovedeasca transferul catre un nou titular.

(4) Transmiterea drepturilor nu va afecta drepturile obtinute de catre terti, anterior transmiterii.

(5) Cesiunea sau licenta se inscrie in Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri sau in Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate, dupa caz, odata cu publicarea in BOPI SSPBS si produce efecte fata de terti de la data inscrierii.

(6) Inscrierea in registrele prevazute la pct.(5) se face sub conditia platii taxei prevazute in anexa la lege.

Regula 34 - Contractul de cesiune

Cesiunea se va face in scris, printr-un contract de cesiune in care se vor mentiona datele de identificare ale amelioratorului si persoanei careia i s-a cesionat dreptul, obiectul cesiunii, data si semnaturile partilor interesate, prezentate in forma autentica.

Regula 35 - Contractul de licenta

(1) Licenta poate fi exclusiva cand se acorda unei singure persoane, sau neexclusiva cand se acorda mai multor persoane interesate.

(2) In cazul contractului de licenta exclusiva titularul acorda licentiatului dreptul exclusiv de exploatare a soiului protejat.

(3) Licenta exclusiva se acorda pentru un interval de timp.

(4) Persoana care a primit un contract de licenta neexclusiva de la titular nu are dreptul sa acorde altor persoane un drept de exploatare asupra soiului pentru care a incheiat contractul de licenta neexclusiva

(5) Licenta neexclusiva se poate inscrie in Registrul National al Soiurilor Protejate prin Brevete de Soiuri, la cerere, cu plata taxei prevazute in anexa la lege.

(6) La solicitarea titularului si cu plata taxei legale OSIM publica oferta de acordare a licentelor de exploatare in BOPI, indicand soiul protejat si datele de identificare ale titularului pentru a fi contactat de persoanele interesate in obtinerea licentei.

Regula 36 - Licenta obligatorie

(1) Orice persoana interesata poate depune la OSIM o cerere pentru acordarea unei licente obligatorii, in conditiile prevazute de art.37.

(2) Cererea de acordare a licentei obligatorii trebuie sa contina datele de identificare ale solicitantului, motivul pentru care solicita acordarea licentei obligatorii, documente care sa

dovedeasca faptul ca are competenta, conditii materiale si facilitati pentru exploatarea corespunzatoare a soiului protejat pentru care solicita licenta obligatorie.

(3) Cererea trebuie sa fie insotita de dovada de plata a taxei prevazute in anexa la lege.

(4) Licenta obligatorie confera licentiatului un drept neexclusiv de exploatare a soiului protejat.

(5) Licenta obligatorie fiind neexclusiva permite titularului brevetului de soi sa exploateze in continuare noul soi si/sau sa acorde licente de exploatare unor terti.

(6) OSIM va acorda licente obligatorii de exploatare la cererea unei persoane interesate numai dupa o analiza temeinica putand solicita avizul organizatiilor profesionale specializate.

(7) Comisia de reexaminare va stabili conditiile de exploatare a soiului protejat, durata licentei precum si drepturile banesti cuvenite titularului de brevet de soi.

(8) Nerespectarea conditiilor de catre beneficiarul licentei obligatorii poate atrage dupa sine retragerea licentei de catre OSIM.

(9) Licenta obligatorie poate fi retrasa si la cererea titularului de brevet de soi, pentru motive intemeiate;

(10) Retragerea licentei obligatorii se face de OSIM prin comisia de reexaminare;

(11) OSIM poate prelungi licenta obligatorie daca exista in continuare un interes public si se mentine situatia pentru care a fost initial acordata.

(12) Hotararile de acordare sau retragere a licentei obligatorii se comunica partilor in 15 zile de la pronuntare, se publica in BOPI-SSPBS si sunt supuse cailor de atac prevazute la art. 38.

CAPITOLUL IX

Apararea drepturilor

Regula 37 - Hotararile OSIM

(1) Toate hotararile luate de OSIM pot fi contestate la comisia de reexaminare in termen de 3 luni de la comunicare.

(2) Contestatiile, cererile de revocare, anulare sau revalidare a brevetului de soi trebuie sa fie formulate in scris si motivat, insotite de acte doveditoare si de dovada de plata a taxei legale.

(3) Comisia de reexaminare va avea o alta componenta decat comisia de examinare si va fi formata dintr-un presedinte si din 2 sau 4 membri in functie de motivele expuse in aceste cereri, in componenta sa fiind numiti atat experti ai M.A.A. cat si ai OSIM dupa caz; un membru al comisiei va fi consilier juridic, din cadrul OSIM.

(4) Membrii comisiei de reexaminare vor fi aprobati de directorul general al OSIM.

(5) Comisia de reexaminare va analiza cererile in interval de maximum 3 luni de la depunerea acestora, la OSIM.

(6) Pentru cazuri speciale, justificate, care necesita eventuale repetari ale testelor de crestere in vederea solutionarii lor, termenul de luare a hotararilor se poate prelungi.

CAPITOLUL X

Regula 38 - Competente

(1) In aplicarea art.44 alin.(2) OSIM are urmatoarele competente:

a) inregistreaza cererile de brevet de soi

b) publica cererile de brevet cu data de depozit in BOPI-SSPBS.

c) examineaza formal si in fond cererile de brevet de soi in conformitate cu regulile 15 si 16 din prezentul regulament;

(d) transmite cererea de brevet de soi examinata formal si in fond, admisa, autoritatii nationale competente pentru validare atunci cand solicitantul depune rezultate ale examenului tehnic sau pentru organizarea de teste de crestere in vederea stabilirii distinctivitatii, omogenitatii si stabilitatii soiului candidat;

(e) acorda si elibereaza brevetele de soi si stabileste descrierea finala pe baza rezultatelor transmise in forma standardizata de catre ISTIS sau autoritatea competenta desemnata de M. A.A.

(f) organizeaza si gestioneaza Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri si Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate.

(2) OSIM editeaza la intervale regulate BOPI-SSPBS, in care sunt cuprinse toate informatiile cu privire la cererile de brevete de soiuri si brevetele de soiuri acordate.

(3) OSIM publica in BOPI urmatoarele informatii:

a) cererile de brevete de soiuri

b) cererile de denumire a soiurilor

c) denumirile inregistrate pentru soiurile protejate

d) retragerile cererilor de brevete de soiuri

e) respingerile de cereri de brevete de soiuri

f) acordarile de brevete de soiuri

g) schimbarile de persoane respectiv solicitanti, titulari

h) schimbarea mandatarilor autorizati

i) decaderile de brevete de soi

j) licente

k) alte modificari si observatii.

(4) Informatiile de mai sus, se vor inregistra si in forma electronica pe CD-uri in vederea asigurarii schimbului de informatii, cu oficiile si administratiile nationale din alte tari si cu organizatiile si organismele internationale de specialitate, etc.

(5) OSIM impreuna cu MAA, stabileste caracteristicile pentru fiecare specie in parte ce trebuie inscrise in chestionarul tehnic si in descrierea standard parte integranta a cererii de brevet de soi, depusa la OSIM in vederea examinarii si acordarii protectiei pentru un nou soi.

(6) In vederea reprezentarii solicitantilor de catre mandatarii autorizati in procedurile de examinare, OSIM impreuna cu M.A.A. organizeaza cursuri de pregatire si ii atesta in aceasta calitate.

(7) Ministerul Agriculturii si Alimentatiei, in aplicarea art.18 si 19 are urmatoarele competente:

a) stabileste metodologia de conducere a testelor de crestere si de organizare a experientelor in camp si/sau in sere in conformitate cu experienta existenta in tara si in conformitate cu normele internationale.

b) stabileste fluxul de examinare tehnica a soiurilor de plante.

c) coopereaza cu OSIM, cu asociatia nationala a amelioratorilor, cu detinatorii de brevete de soiuri, cu asociatiile producatorilor de seminte si de alte materiale de inmultire si cu alte organisme prevazute la art.44 alin. (3) lit. b).

d) stabileste diferite criterii de apreciere a noilor soiuri si a modificarii metodologiilor de lucru si solicita experti sau cercetatori -amelioratori pentru speciile la care este necesara elaborarea metodologiilor de conducere a testelor de crestere si de identificare a noilor soiuri de plante.

e) desemneaza pentru comisia de reexaminare OSIM experti de, culturi, in cazurile in care motivele contestatiilor sunt legate de examinarea tehnica a soiului candidat.

Regula 39 - Termene

(1) Termenele stabilite pe zile cuprind zilele calendaristice si nu includ nici ziua cand a inceput si nici ziua cand s-a implinit termenul. Termenele stabilite pe luni se implinesc in ziua lunii corespunzatoare zilei de plecare.

(2) Termenul care incepe la data de 29,30 sau 31 ale lunii si se implineste intr-o luna care nu are asemenea zi, se va considera implinit in prima zi a lunii urmatoare.

(3) Termenul care se implineste intr-o zi de sarbatoare legala sau intr-o zi nelucratoare se va prelungi pana la sfarsitul primei zile lucratoare.

(4) Termenele incep sa curga de la data comunicarii actelor de procedura, intelegandu-se prin aceasta data la care actul emis de OSIM a fost primit de solicitant, de titular sau de mandatar, dupa caz. Aceasta data se confirma cu stampila oficiului postal receptor.

(5) Actele de procedura, trimise la OSIM prin posta, se considera indeplinite in termen, daca au fost predate la oficiul postal, inainte de implinirea termenului.

(6) Neindeplinirea actelor de procedura in termenele notificate de OSIM, nu atrage sanctiunile prevazute in anexa la lege si de prezentul regulament, daca solicitantul dovedeste ca a fost

impiedicat de o imprejurare mai presus de vointa lui si daca indeplineste procedura intr-un termen de doua luni de la incetarea cauzei.

Regula 40 - Formulare

(1) In procedurile in fata OSIM , se vor utiliza formulare tip.

(2) OSIM furnizeaza la cerere, formularele prevazute la pct.(1).

Regula 41 - Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri

In Registrul National al Cererilor de Brevete de Soiuri se inscriu urmatoarele elemente:

a) numarul cererii;

b) specia, texonul botanic si denumirea;

c) data de depozit;

d) numele si adresa solicitantului;

e) numele si adresa amelioratorului;

f) mandatarul;

g) modificari in situatia juridica.

Regula 42 - Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate

In Registrul National al Brevetelor de Soiuri Protejate se inscriu urmatoarele elemente:

a) data si numarul cererii depusa la OSIM;

b) data de prioritate;

c) data de depozit;

d) numele si adresa solicitantului;

e) statul pe teritoriul caruia are domiciliul;

f) numele si adresa mandatarului;

g) numele si adresa amelioratorului;

h) taxonul botanic;

i) denumirea definitiva a soiului;

j) numele/denumirea si adresa titularului;

k) modificari privind adresa si numele titularului;

l) orice modificare si transmitere de drepturi;

m) plata taxelor de eliberare si de mentinere in vigoare a brevetului de soi;

n) titularul brevetului de soi;

o) declaratia titularului de renuntare la brevetul de soi;

p) hotararea de anulare sau hotararea de decadere a titularului din drepturi, dupa caz.

Implementing Regulations of the Law No. 255/1998 on the Protection of the New Plant Varieties, Romania

Available Materials