Plant variety (law)

[1] Recognition of a cultivated plant (a cultivar) as a "variety" in this particular sense provides its breeder with some legal protection, so-called plant breeders' rights, depending to some extent on the internal legislation of the UPOV signatory countries, such as the Plant Variety Protection Act in the US.

This "variety" (which will differ in status according to national law) should not be confused with the international taxonomic rank of "variety" (regulated by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants), nor with the term "cultivar" (regulated by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants).

The EU has established a system that grants intellectual property rights to new plant varieties called Community plant variety right.

[2] Around 27,260 plant variety applications were filed worldwide in 2022, up 8.2% on 2021 – a seventh consecutive year of growth.

China contributed the majority of global growth, followed by the United Kingdom.