Australian IP report 2025
Key trends for PBR filings in Australia in 2024
- Applications for plant breeder’s rights fell for the second consecutive year, down by 4.7% on their level in 2023.
- Non-resident filings increased by 21.3% from their level in 2023, driven by growth in applications from Germany, New Zealand and the United States.
- While filings fell for fruit crops, the first decline since 2019, this was countered by an increase in filings for ornamentals, marking their first increase since 2019.
What are plant breeder's rights?
Plant breeder’s rights (PBRs) provide legal protection for new plant varieties to encourage private investment in plant breeding and commercialisation. To be eligible for protection, a plant variety must be the product of a selective breeding process, novel, clearly distinguishable from other varieties, uniform and stable upon propagation.
PBRs grant their owners an exclusive right to commercialise their new varieties for up to 25 years. They enhance their rights owners’ ability to collect royalties in directing the production, sale and distribution of varieties, to increase investment in research, development and commercialisation.
Read next: PBR applications and registrations and where they came from