Scientists in Germany have released tomato and wheat varieties under an open-source licence that prevents the plants’ descendants being patented.
The aim of the licence is for scientists to be able to experiment with the seeds without legal restrictions, the journal Science reported on 12 June.
“You can use the seed in multiple ways but you are not allowed to put a plant variety protection or patent on this seed and all the successive developments of this seed,” said Johannes Kotschi, an agricultural scientist who helped to write the licence last year.
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