Maintaining a plant variety right

It is your responsibility as a variety Rights applicant or Rights holder to protect and maintain your interests in any protected variety.

All requests can be submitted online through our Maintain a PVR or Renew a PVR service.

Renew a PVR

The Plant Variety Rights are issued for a term of 20 or 23 years (see Terms of a Plant Variety Right), but a grant will only remain in force as long as you pay the annual grant fee.

Payment of the annual grant fee is due each year on the anniversary date of the grant.

You have one month and 28 days after the anniversary date of the grant to renew your PVR.

Renew a PVR through our online renewal service.

Read more about how to renew a PVR.
 

Change ownership

Where ownership of a protected variety changes, the owner or applicant must apply to the Commissioner to register ownership (title) of that right.

You can request for change ownership of a PVR online.

Read more about how to change ownership. 

Change an address and/or name

You can file a notice of the following changes online with the Commissioner. These changes will be recorded against client’s details level not at the IP level.

• Address for service,
• Business or residential address,
• Communication address,
• Name on the PVR register

Read more about how to change an address and/or name.

Change agent

You can make an online request for your professional representative (agent) to be assigned to, or change for, a pvr.

Read more about how to change an agent.

Amend PVR application

You can make an online amendment to a PVR application. 

Read more about how to amend a PVR application.

Always use the approved variety denomination 

It is a requirement under the Plant Variety Rights Act that any person who sells reproductive material of a protected variety must use the denomination. It is permissible to add a commercial name or trademark to the approved denomination as this helps to establish your brand in the marketplace.
Note: Take care with plant labels printed overseas. They may not be appropriately worded for use in New Zealand.

Read more on UPOV recommendations for variety denominations.

Withdrawal 

You can make an online withdrawal of your application.

Read more about how to withdraw a PVR application.

Surrender 

You can make an online surrender of your granted plant variety right.

Read more about how to surrender your granted right.

Propose new denomination 

You can propose a new denomination of your granted plant variety right online.

Read more about how to propose new denomination.