Patent Watch

Since the adoption of the EU Patent Directive in 1998, legal protection for biological inventions has become much clearer in Europe. A patent may be a useful tool in many instances, providing a 20-year monopoly to the inventor of a new and useful product or process; a patent is a fair return to innovators and an incentive to technical progress. 

However, this leads to concerns for EFFAB members as:
  • Farm animal breeding and selection is vulnerable to patents on established techniques and methods that are not well documented in the public domain.
  • Very broad claims are made by inventors  which threaten our freedom to operate

In response to this risk, Patent Watch was set up by EFFAB in 2005, to prevent broad patents and already established business. The EFFAB Patent Watch is a voluntary service for members. Participating members jointly decide on the patent applications to be watched and the costs for the service (patent attorney, organisation of the watch) are shared equally. There are four meetings by teleconference per year.

Why join:
  • Excellent information about relevant patent applications from a specialised Patent Attorney.
  • Sharing expertise with colleagues from other breeding organisations and the option to take action together when relevant.
  • Reducing costs for your company for following risky patent applications.

​For more information, please contact the EFFAB secretariat.

Click here to go to the relevant downloads on Patent Watch (members only)