APPENDIX 



LETTER OF THE POTATO ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 



Potato Association of America, 

 New Brunswick, Canada, September 20, 1993. 



Hon. Tom Daschle, 



Chairman, Subcommittee on Agricultural Research, Conservation, Forestry, and Gen- 

 eral Legislation, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510 



Mr. Chairman: The Potato Association of America is pleased to have the opportu- 

 nity for its representative, Dr. Douches, to appear before this subcommittee on the 

 subject of intellectual property rights for potatoes. 



The Potato Association of America is the professional society for potato research, 

 extension, utilization, and technical workers in the Americas, including the United 

 States. The Association also has members in many other countries around the 

 world. In the United States most of the potato breeders, seed industry specialists, 

 extension specialists, and some industry leaders are members of the PAA. 



At its 1993 annual meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, the PAA formally supported 

 the inclusion of the potato in the Plant Variety Protection Act at the same time as 

 revisions are made as required by the 1991 UPOV Convention. This position was 

 reached following discussion at the previous annual meeting, and the consideration 

 of a specially prepared review document. 



The major reasons for supporting the inclusion of potatoes in the PVPA revisions 

 are summarized as follows: 



1. The PVPA meets the requirements of the UPOV Convention which in turn facili- 

 tates obtaining protection in other UPOV countries, including Canada and major 

 seed potato exporting countries, and helps to ensure that royalties are returned to 

 the originator. 



2. The application for protection under the PVPA is relatively straightforward and 

 can be made by the breeder. 



3. With the revisions arising from the 1991 UPOV Convention, PVPA protection 

 will extend to derived varieties such as transgenic varieties developed using bio- 

 technology techniques. 



4. The PVPA explicitly recognizes exemptions for breeding potatoes which is impor- 

 tant in facilitation continuing exchanges of potato germplasm. 



The Potato Association of America asks you to give favorable consideration to this 

 submission. Thank you for your attention. 



(Signed) T. Richard Tarn, 



1993-94 President. 



LETTER OF THE NATIONAL COTTON COUNCIL 



National Cotton Council, 

 Washington, DC, September 17, 1993. 



Hon. Tom Daschle, 



Chairman, Subcommittee on Agricultural Research, Conservation, Forestry, and Gen- 

 eral Legislation, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510. 



Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to convey the comments of the National 

 Cotton Council of America on S. 1406, the Plant Variety Protection Act Amend- 

 ments of 1993. We would appreciate your assistance in including this correspond- 

 ence in the hearing record. 



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