Registration

Webinar 2/2019: Plant Variety Protection in the United States: Registration, Examination & more (Dec 12) Register now
Workshop 1/2020: The CIOPORA Academy Marrakesh, the AGM 2020 edition (Apr 20) Opens soon

The CIOPORA Academy – your education program on IP for plants

What is The CIOPORA Academy?

The CIOPORA Academy is a specialized international education program on IP for plants tailored to the needs of the green sector. The formats include small-group workshops held several times a year in different locations across the world and live webinars. Our lecturers are renowned IP experts and experienced legal practitioners.

What will I learn?

The CIOPORA Academy combines learning and networking. It encompasses all areas of IP Protection relevant to players of the green business, including but not limited to Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR), Plant Patents, Patents for plant-related inventions, and Trademarks for plant products. The webinars are broadcasted live with two sessions each to accommodate all time zones.

Who should enroll?

The CIOPORA Academy offers workshops and webinars for breeders, propagators, growers, traders active in horticulture, as well as students of agricultural and horticultural specializations. Our workshops may also be beneficial for IPR managers, IP lawyers, in-house counsels and patent attorneys looking to expand their expertise in the unique area of plant IP.

What is the cost?

Cost of the workshops and webinars varies and depends on the topics, the location and the number of modules offered in each workshop. CIOPORA members and supporters enjoy 50% discount on all regular rates. The program also offers up to 70% discounts for enrolled students. Students: please reach out to us for more information!

Testimonials

“A great opportunity to learn varying perspectives on plant IP”

"CIOPORA Academy in Chicago/St. Charles was a great opportunity to learn varying perspectives on plant IP.  All topics presented had value as they pertain to my daily work; however, I was particularly interested in the topics on Utility Patents and Plant Variety Protection (PVP) for asexually reproduced plants.  Both speakers provided in-depth analysis of the different scope of protections under these two systems and presented the advantages as well the disadvantages over the U.S. Plant Patent system.  The comfortable atmosphere of the workshops at the Hotel Baker was a wonderful location to network with like-minded colleagues."

Jim R. Holm, Licensing Associate at Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc.

2019-08-28T16:18:49+02:00

Jim R. Holm, Licensing Associate at Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc.

"CIOPORA Academy in Chicago/St. Charles was a great opportunity to learn varying perspectives on plant IP.  All topics presented had value as they pertain to my daily work; however, I was particularly interested in the topics on Utility Patents and Plant Variety Protection (PVP) for asexually reproduced plants.  Both speakers provided in-depth analysis of the different scope of protections under these two systems and presented the advantages as well the disadvantages over the U.S. Plant Patent system.  The comfortable atmosphere of the workshops at the Hotel Baker was a wonderful location to network with like-minded colleagues."

“The place to discuss common challenges in protection of asexually reproduced crops”

“The CIOPORA workshop held in August 2019 in St. Charles/Chicago was a great opportunity to meet with companies active in asexually propagated plants and discuss common challenges in the protection of our crops. The topics were timely and relevant. The session on UPOV, Breeder’s Exemption, and U.S. Plant Patent Law was particularly interesting, as it provided real-life examples of the cross-border legal scenarios. Thanks to the CIOPORA team for always putting together a thoughtful and well-run program"

Amy Martin, Director Legal Affairs at Driscoll’s, Inc.

2019-11-20T17:22:35+02:00

Amy Martin, Director Legal Affairs at Driscoll’s, Inc.

"The place to discuss common challenges in protection of asexually reproduced crops"

Experience the CIOPORA Academy

Featured Speakers:

Jeff Haynes

Jeff Haynes

Acting Commissioner, US Plant Variety Protection Office
Jeff Haynes is the Acting Commissioner of the US Plant Variety Protection Office and has been with the office for eight years. He has been instrumental in streamlining the examination procedures of the office and launching the electronic Plant Variety Protection System. Jeff has worked for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for more than 25 years.  Prior to joining the USDA, Jeff worked as a chemist with an environmental engineering firm.
Andrew Sim

Andrew Sim

Office Lead for Consumer Goods and Retail Industry, Baker McKenzie

Mr Sim is the Office Lead for Consumer Goods and Retail Industry in the Beijing Office of Baker McKenzie. His practice area includes product recall, consumer complaints, franchise registration, product quality issues, and breaches of advertiser regulations. Mr Sim heads the Food and Beverage (“F&B”) Industry practice group and leads the Plant Variety Rights practice, including investigations, PBR registration and enforcement. Mr Sim also focuses on IP protection and enforcement in China, assisting clients with IPR strategies and licensing as well as directing anti-counterfeit operations. His practice also includes domain names, Internet and technology laws.

Joanna Pabiniak

Joanna Pabiniak

Attorney-at-law & Owner at Kancelaria Pabiniak, Poland

Joanna Pabiniak is an attorney-at-law and the owner of the Kancelaria Pabiniak, a law firm based in Lodz, Poland. She advises her clients on all aspects of IP protection for plant innovations, including licensing and enforcement of IP rights, and has represented clients from the fruit sector in several PBR court cases in Poland. Joanna holds a Law degree from the Lodz University. From 2003 to 2006, she underwent and completed a judge training at the District Court of Lodz passing her judicial exam. Since December 2006, she has been a member of the Regional Chamber of Legal Advisors in Lodz and a member of the Lodz Bar Association

Thomas Leidereiter, LL.M.

Thomas Leidereiter, LL.M.

Attorney & Owner at Green Rights

Thomas Leidereiter is an attorney and the owner of Green Rights in Hamburg, Germany. With nearly two decades’ experience as a specialized IP lawyer, including 14 years at a major German law firm and five years at his own, he has extensive expertise covering Plant Variety Protection, trademarks, designs, copyright and competition law. Thomas advises clients on all aspects of IP protection for plant innovations, including the licensing and enforcement of IP rights. He has been involved in a number of major court cases dealing with fundamental PVR issues in the ornamental and fruit sector. Thomas is a member of INTA, the German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (GRUR), CIOPORA and CIOPORA Germany. He is a regular speaker on IP topics with several associations and institutions.