Entrepreneur A has developed a new method for breeding tomato plants with reduced water content. The aim is to develop tomatoes that thrive even in arid conditions and whose fruits have a longer shelf life because they spoil less quickly. Through a combination of crossbreeding, propagation, and targeted selection, the aim is to create stable plant varieties whose fruits have a lower water content and can therefore be grown in regions with arid or desert climates.
First, at least one tomato plant of a specific species (Lycopersicon esculentum) is crossed with another tomato species to produce hybrid seeds. These seeds are used to grow a first generation of hybrid plants, which are then pollinated to produce the next hybrid generation. The resulting seeds are collected and grown into plants, which further stabilizes the desired characteristic—reduced water content in the fruit. To make this effect visible, the tomato fruits remain on the plant longer than usual, i.e., beyond the normal ripening time. As a result, they show significant wrinkling of the skin, which serves as an indicator of lower water content. Finally, a screening process is used to select those plants that reliably exhibit these characteristics and thus fulfill the objective of the process.
Overall, it is a mixture of biological-natural processes (crossbreeding, growth, selection) and technical instructions (screening, defined times, measurement of characteristics), the purpose of which is to create tomatoes that can be cultivated under extremely dry conditions – such as in desert regions – and at the same time have a longer shelf life.
Patent law provides for exceptions that exclude certain objects and processes from patentability. These include, in particular, plant varieties, animal species, biological breeding processes, and their end products. If an object falls under this exception, no patent may be granted for it; a patent that has already been granted may be declared invalid.
dass bestimmte Bereiche wie die natürliche Züchtung nicht dem Monopolrecht des Patents unterliegen sollen
dh Neuheit
deren Merkmale durch einen bestimmten Genotyp festgelegt und beständig vererbbar sind. Als solche sind Pflanzensorten vom Patentschutz ausgeschlossen
wie etwa transgene Pflanzen mit rekombinanten DNA-Sequenzen
würde er hierfür Patentschutz erhalten.
die durch technische Maßnahmen verändert wurden
die auf natürlichen Prozessen wie Kreuzung und Selektion beruhen
Applying this theory to the tomato case shows that the claimed process is based in large part on classic biological breeding steps. The core of the process lies in crossing a tomato plant (Lycopersicon esculentum) with another tomato species, then growing the offspring and continuously selecting over several generations. These crossings and the associated inheritance of certain characteristics are natural processes of reproduction. According to the legal system, the mere provision of this crossing step means that the entire process falls under the exclusion clause.
The supplementary measures—such as allowing the fruit to overripen on the plant in order to make wrinkling of the skin visible as an indicator of reduced water content, or screening for these characteristics—are technical elements, but they cannot overcome the exclusion. As long as the process claim provides for crossing as a mandatory step, the process as a whole is considered a biological breeding process and is excluded from patent protection.
wenn ein Verfahren keine Kreuzung
sondern auch deren unmittelbare Endprodukte. Pflanzen und Tiere
sondern die damit gewonnenen Tomaten selbst unter Schutz stellen möchte
