THE PROTECTION OF PLANT VARIETIES AND FARMERS’ RIGHTS ACT, 2001 (pdf)
Extant Varieties
Chapter I – 2j
“Extant variety” means a variety available in India which is—
(i) notified under section 5 of the Seeds Act, 1966 (54 of 1966); or
(ii) farmers’ variety; or
(iii) a Variety about which there is Common Knowledge (VCK); or
(iv) any other variety which is in public domain;
Chapter IV – 28
Registration to confer right.—(1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act, a certificate of registration for a variety issued under this Act shall confer an exclusive right on the breeder or his successor, his agent or licensee, to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export the variety: Provided that in the case of an extant variety, unless a breeder or his successor establishes his right, the Central Government, and in cases where such extant variety is notified for a State or for any area thereof under section 5 of the Seeds Act, 1966 (54 of 1966), the State Government, shall be deemed to be the owner of such right.
Farmers’ rights
Chapter VI 39
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act,
(i) a farmer who has bred or developed a new variety shall be entitled for registration and other protection in like manner as a breeder of a variety under this Act;
(ii) the farmers’ variety shall be entitled for registration if the application contains declarations as specified in clause (h) of sub-section (1) of section 18; 20
(iii) a farmer who is engaged in the conservation of genetic resources of land races and wild relatives of economic plants and their improvement through selection and preservation shall be entitled in the prescribed manner for recognition and reward from the Gene Fund:
Provided that material so selected and preserved has been used as donors of genes in varieties registrable under this Act;
(iv) a farmer shall be deemed to be entitled to save, use, sow resow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under this Act in the same manner as he was entitled before the coming into force of this Act:
Provided that the farmer shall not be entitled to sell branded seed of a variety protected under this Act.
Explanation.—For the purpose of clause (iv), “branded seed” means any seed put in a package or any other container and labelled in a manner indicating that such seed is of a variety protected under this Act.