Article 57 of the Saudi Patents Law
المادة 57 من نظام براءات الاختراع · الفصل الرابع: أحكام خاصة بحماية الأصناف النباتية الجديدة
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.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز تقييد الحق الناشئ عن البراءة النباتية بأي تدبير يتخذ لتنظيم عمليات إنتاج مواد الأصناف النباتية، ومراقبتها، وتسويقها، واستيرادها، وتصديرها.
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 57 explained in plain English
This article protects the right arising from a plant patent from being restricted by regulatory measures concerning the plant variety sector.
The rule: this right may not be restricted by any measure taken to regulate the following operations relating to plant variety materials:
- production;
- control;
- marketing;
- import;
- export.
This means that regulatory measures in these areas, whatever they are, may not be used to restrict the right that the plant patent gives its owner. The right remains in place within the scope set by Article 56, which gives the owner the right to sue anyone who exploits the propagating material of the protected variety inside the Kingdom without consent, including production, export, import and sale.
The article itself does not say what these measures are or which bodies issue them; it sets a general principle that regulation may not come at the expense of the owner's right.
Anyone who believes a regulatory measure affects their right in a plant patent would do well to consult a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents.
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 57 of the Saudi Patents Law
Can import regulations restrict the right of a plant patent owner?
The right arising from a plant patent may not be restricted by any measure taken to regulate the production, control, marketing, import or export of plant variety materials.
What is the scope of the right this article protects?
The right arising from a plant patent, whose forms of infringement are set out in Article 56.
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 54
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.
يكون الصنف النباتي قابلًا للحصول على براءة نباتية، إذا كان جديدًا، ومميزًا، ومتجانسًا وثابتًا، وشرع في تسميته.
- 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 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.