Intellectual Property Protection for Plant Varieties in Jordan

Abstract

The protection of plant varieties is an aspect of intellectual property rights. In Jordan, while some attention has been paid to traditional rights such as copyright, trademark and patent, until recently, virtually no attention has been paid to intellectual property rights with respect to plant varieties. This article reviews the development of intellectual property rights in Jordan for new plant varieties. This article then examines the Law on Protecting New Varieties of Plants. Particularly, the examination is based on comparison with the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants and the Agreement on Trade‐Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights to determine the extent to which the Jordanian law meets the rules of these international treaties. To conclude, the article finds that while the Law on Protecting New Varieties of Plants is a landmark in the development of intellectual protection in Jordan, there are certain issues that need to be addressed. To help improve the existing protection for new plant varieties, the article suggests certain actions that can be taken.