Sakata Seed Corporation Joins Patent Pool, Vegetable International Licensing Platform or ‘ILP Vegetable’, promoting the use of patents, covering biological material with the aim to enhance research activities and development of new varieties.

Sakata Seed Corporation will join the Vegetable International Licensing Platform, commonly referred to as ‘ILP Vegetable’ a private association with its office in the Netherlands. Under the conditions of the ILP Vegetable, ILP Vegetable members make all of their patents related to vegetable breeding traits accessible to their fellow members. Easier access to patents for the development of varieties will enhance their research activities.

The ILP Vegetable is one of the largest global patent pools, which is deals with patents, covering biological material, important for the breeding of vegetables. The members of this organization are the many large, small and medium-sized companies dealing with vegetable seeds and seedlings. On normal traits, the ILP Vegetable pools and manages a large number of patents, developed by participant companies.

The ILP Vegetable system covered commercial variety patents. The organization aims at promoting the mutual use of patents by fellow members to enhance the development of varieties by lowering the barrier to entry to the utilization of patents.

The access to a large number of patents related to the development of varieties owned by member companies is enabled Joining the ILP Vegetable. For the breeding of new varieties, we will be able to use, in particular, commercial variety patents, freely. Other patents related to the traits of varieties will be made accessible to us at reasonable license fees through negotiation between members.

The access to new genetic resources is provided by participation in the ILP Vegetable. To enhance our research activities and accelerate the development of useful varieties, the Sakata Seed Group will actively use the ILP Vegetable. At the General Meeting on November 14, 2016, Sakata will be officially admitted to the ILP Vegetable.