What is the Plant Variety Rights Act? Why does it matter?

A Plant Variety Right (PVR) is a special kind of protection that gives the owner the exclusive right to make and sell a certain type of plant.

You’re allowed to grow PVR plants in your own garden but you can't sell them or make more of them to sell, without the owner's permission. PVR holders can take legal action against anyone who does this.

Trade Me works with PVR holders to make sure they're not being copied. We may check in with sellers to make sure they're not selling new plants they're not supposed to.

To make sure you're not breaking the rules, check that your plants have the right labels. You can find information about this online, and you can search for existing PVRs to see if your plant is covered.

For more information check out the IPONZ website.