Dr Ben Tolley

European Patent Attorney, Mewburn Ellis

Ben does patent work in the life sciences sector. This includes drafting and prosecuting UK, European and International patent applications. The majority of his practice is engaged in 'defending' or 'attacking' patents in opposition and appeal proceedings before the EPO.

Areas of Expertise

• Microbial inoculants for plant growth, protection and bioremediation

• Plant, algal & microbial biotechnologies

• Microbiome technologies

• Genetic technologies, including nucleic acid editing tools, riboswitches and expression systems

• Synthetic biology

• Biologics, nucleic acid and antibody therapeutics

Contributed to

1

Plant variety rights and other plant-related IP protection—EU

Practice Notes

This Practice Note discusses the intellectual property protection available for plant varieties (known as plant breeders’ rights or plant variety rights (PVRs)). It covers the EU regime under Regulation (EC) 2100/94 (the Community Plant Variety Rights Regulation) for the Community plant variety right (CPVR). It then explains the validity requirements for obtaining PVR protection, the tests for infringement and the compulsory licensing of PVRs. Finally, it discusses the patent protection available for plant-related inventions.

Life Sciences