The Fair Seeds for Farmers Act would restrict how plant seeds and varieties can be protected under federal intellectual property law. Currently, companies and breeders can obtain patents and plant variety protection certificates that give them exclusive control over seeds and prevent farmers from saving, replanting, or breeding seeds without permission. This bill would eliminate most of those protections, allowing only two limited forms of plant protection to remain: the Plant Variety Protection Act and the Plant Patent Act of 1930. The legislation would also prohibit enforcement of contracts that restrict farmers' ability to save seeds, conduct research, or breed new plant varieties. The changes would apply to new patent applications and contracts signed after the bill's enactment, while existing patents would remain valid.
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