Court Upholds Plant Variety Protection
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Egyptian court upholds plant variety protection for proprietary grape cultivar
COURT UPHOLDS PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION
On 14 March 2026, the Egyptian Administrative Court ruled in favour of Sun World International, upholding the validity and enforceability of plant variety protection for its seedless grape variety Sugrathirteen (marketed as Midnight Beauty). The Court dismissed an invalidity challenge by an unauthorised grower, confirming that the variety met all statutory DUS (novelty, distinctness, uniformity and stability) requirements and that Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) compliant testing could be relied upon.
The decision strengthens legal certainty for plant breeders in Egypt, reinforcing the enforceability of plant variety rights and alignment with international protection standards, and is expected to support continued investment in agricultural innovation and proprietary cultivars.
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