Moth Orchids Varieties Will Be Recognized Mutually Between Taiwan and Japan.

　People in the field of Orchid industry from Yun-lin county has recently representing their Japanese customers for applying orchid variety right for the following Moth Orchids: Fen Fen, Tang Tang and Ling Ling (Chinese: 粉粉、糖糖、玲玲, respectively).  Flower growers indicated that since Taiwan is not a member state of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), the above-mentioned application for applying new orchid variety rights by Japanese in Taiwan marked as the watershed for both countries to recognize mutually the varieties of orchids.  Taiwan flower growers will be bringing new species of Moth Orchids to Japan for registering new varieties. 

　Orchid growers under the name of Taiwan Pot-Plants Association (Chinese: 中華盆花發展協會) proposed to Council of Agriculture to accept orchid variety right applications from Japan viewing this to be the major breakthrough for the hardships faced by them over the years.  After endless efforts, Council of Agriculture has reached a mutual understanding with the Japanese government for recognizing Moth Orchids varieties.

　Fen Fen, Tang Tang and Ling Ling, the three Moth Orchids, were delivered to Taichung Seedling Field for novelty examinations.  Once they passed the novelty examinations, they will be granted with variety certificate of new species of Moth Orchid.

　UPOV is an international organization aiming to promote the protection of new varieties of plants globally.  UPOV currently has 43 member states.  Protection with respect to the new plant varieties in each country adopts the Territoriality Principle; in other words, new plant variety right will be protected only in countries where variety right was granted.  Claiming for damages against right infringers and requesting for trade restrictions can only be executed in countries where variety right was granted to applicant(s). (2008.03)

/DC