Article 54 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 54 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الرابع: أحكام خاصة بحماية الأصناف النباتية الجديدة
The article sets the conditions for a plant variety to obtain a plant patent: it must be new, distinct, uniform and stable, and a name must be proposed for it.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يكون الصنف النباتي قابلًا للحصول على براءة نباتية، إذا كان جديدًا، ومميزًا، ومتجانسًا وثابتًا، وشرع في تسميته.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 54 explained in plain English
This article opens the provisions on protecting new plant varieties. Under the definitions in Article 2, a plant variety is a plant grouping within a single taxon that can be defined by characteristics resulting from a given genotype and distinguished from others, and is regarded as a unit in terms of its ability to propagate unchanged. The plant breeder is whoever bred, discovered or developed a new variety.
A variety may obtain a plant patent if the following conditions are met:
- Novelty.
- Distinctness.
- Uniformity.
- Stability.
- A name has been proposed for it.
Article 55 explains the meaning of these conditions in detail: novelty relates to propagating material of the variety not having been sold or made available to others before certain periods; distinctness to its being clearly distinguishable from publicly known varieties; uniformity to the uniformity of its essential characteristics; stability to its characteristics not changing after successive propagation; and naming to specifying its genus and species.
Under the definitions in Article 2, a plant patent is one of the separate protection documents, alongside the patent, the design certificate and the industrial design certificate.
Plant breeders may consult a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents before filing an application.
Practical example
A farmer in Al-Qassim developed a new salt-tolerant variety of wheat, whose characteristics appear alike in all the plants and do not change from one season to the next. He may apply for a plant patent if the variety is new, distinct, uniform and stable, and a name has been proposed for it.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 54 of the Saudi Patents Law
What are the conditions for obtaining a plant patent?
The plant variety must be new, distinct, uniform and stable, and a name must be proposed for it.
Can a plant variety be protected by an ordinary patent?
The Law grants new plant varieties a special document, the plant patent, under the conditions in this article.
More articles on Plant Variety Protection
- Article 25
The article allows the City to grant a compulsory license for a plant variety covered by a plant patent on set conditions, including public interest, three years from grant and fair compensation, for two to four years.
أ - يجوز للمدينة أن تمنح ترخيصًا إجباريا للغير باستغلال الصنف النباتي المشمول ببراءة نباتية، وذلك بناء على طلب يقدمه إليها وفقًا لما يأتي : 1- أن يكون الترخيص ا
- Article 55
The article defines the conditions for a plant patent: novelty with its periods inside and outside the Kingdom, distinctness, uniformity and stability, and how a plant variety is named.
أ - يعد الصنف النباتي جديدًا إذا لم يتم – عند تاريخ إيداع الطلب، أو تاريخ الأسبقية المطالب بها - بيع مواد التناسل أو التكاثر النباتي للصنف، أو منتجات محصول الصن
- Article 56
The article gives the plant patent owner the right to sue anyone who exploits the protected variety's propagating material in the Kingdom without consent, and extends the rights to harvested material and derived varieties, with exceptions.
أ - لمالك البراءة النباتية الحق في رفع دعوى أمام اللجنة ضد أي شخص يتعدى على الصنف المحمي باستغلال مادة تكاثر الصنف المحمي دون موافقته داخل المملكة، ويعد استغلال
- Article 57
The article bars restricting the right arising from a plant patent by any measure taken to regulate the production, control, marketing, import or export of plant variety materials.
لا يجوز تقييد الحق الناشئ عن البراءة النباتية بأي تدبير يتخذ لتنظيم عمليات إنتاج مواد الأصناف النباتية، ومراقبتها، وتسويقها، واستيرادها، وتصديرها.
- Article 58
The article requires the plant patent owner to maintain the variety, supply the City with information and samples and propose an alternative name, and the patent lapses on breach after notice and a grace period.
يلتزم مالك البراءة النباتية بما يأتي: أ - الحفاظ على الصنف المحمي، أو – عند الحاجة – على مكوناته الوراثية طوال مدة الحماية. ب - تزويد المدينة بناء على طلبها بال
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.