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Legislative Implementation of Flexibilities - France

Title:Article L 611-19 of the Intellectual Property Code of 01/07/1994, updated version of 2010
Field of IP:Patents
Type of flexibility:Exclusion from patentability of plants
Summary table:PDF

Provisions of Law

Article L611-19

I - The following shall be unpatentable:

1) animal varieties;

2) plant varieties as defined in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No. 873/2004 introducing new rules governing intellectual property ownership of Community plant variety rights;

3) essentially biological processes for the production of plants and animals. A process that consists entirely of natural phenomena such as crossing or selection shall be regarded as biological process.

4) processes for modifying the genetic identity of animals which are likely to cause them suffering without substantial medical benefit to man or animal, and also animals resulting from such processes.

II - Notwithstanding the provisions of (I) above, inventions which concern plants or animals shall be patentable if the technical feasibility of the invention is not confined to a particular plant or animal variety.

III - The provisions of I (3) shall be without prejudice to the patentability of inventions which concern a technical process, in particular a microbiological one, or a product obtained by means of such a process; any process involving or resulting in or performed upon a microbiological material shall be regarded as microbiological process.