by KATZAROV SA, Patent & Trademark Attorneys,
European Patent Attorneys, Geneva, Switzerland

Definition and origins of UPOV

The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, known as “UPOV,” is an intergovernmental organization with headquarters in Geneva. The acronym UPOV is derived from the French name of the organization, “Union internationale pour la protection des obtentions végétales”.

UPOV has been established by the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (the “UPOV Convention”), which was signed in Paris in 1961. The Convention entered into force in 1968. It was revised in Geneva in 1972, 1978 and 1991. The 1978 Act entered into force on November 8, 1981. The 1991 Act entered into force on April 24, 1998.