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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 119 (Thursday, June 20, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 37200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14713]

[[Page 37200]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Document No. AMS-ST-13-0019]

Plant Variety Protection Board; Open Teleconference Meeting

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice is intended to notify the public of their 
opportunity to attend an open meeting of the Plant Variety Protection 
Board.

DATES: July 31, 2013 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., open to the public.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the United States Department of 
Agriculture, Room 4530, South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jennifer Banks, Plant Variety 
Protection Office, Science and Technology Programs, Agricultural 
Marketing Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 
Independence, Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250. Telephone number (202) 
260-8983, fax (202) 260-8976, or email: jennifer.banks@ams.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the provisions of section 10(a) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), this 
notice is given regarding an upcoming Plant Variety Protection (PVP) 
Board meeting. The Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) (7 U.S.C. 2321 
et seq.) provides legal protection in the form of intellectual property 
rights to developers of new varieties of plants, which are reproduced 
sexually by seed or are tuber-propagated. A Certificate of Plant 
Variety Protection is awarded to an owner of a crop variety after an 
examination shows that it is new, distinct from other varieties, 
genetically uniform and stable through successive generations. The term 
of protection is 20 years for most crops and 25 years for trees, 
shrubs, and vines. The PVPA also provides for a statutory Board (7 
U.S.C. 2327). The duties of the Board are to: (1) Advise the Secretary 
concerning the adoption of rules and regulations to facilitate the 
proper administration of the Act; (2) provide advisory counsel to the 
Secretary on appeals concerning decisions on applications by the PVP 
Office and on requests for emergency public-interest compulsory 
licenses; and (3) advise the Secretary on any other matters under the 
Regulations and Rules of Practice and on all questions under Section 44 
of the Act, ``Public Interest in Wide Usage'' (7 U.S.C. 2404).
    The purpose of the meeting will be to introduce the topics of the 
PVP Office's 2013 achievements, ongoing process improvements, plans for 
electronic applications/database conversion, and concepts on using 
molecular techniques for PVP distinctness characterization. The 
proposed agenda for the PVP Board meeting will include a welcome by 
Department officials followed by a discussion focusing on program 
activities that encourage the development of new plant varieties and 
appeals to the Secretary. The agenda will also include presentations on 
the PVP Process Improvement, electronic PVP application/computer 
database development, and the use of molecular markers for PVP 
applications.
    The meeting will be open to the public. Those wishing to attend or 
phone into the meeting are encouraged to pre-register by July 24, 2013 
with the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. If you 
require accommodations, such as sign language interpreter, please 
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 
Minutes of the meeting will be available for public review 30 days 
following the meeting at the address listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. The minutes will also be posted on the Internet 
Web site http://www.ams.usda.gov/PVPO.

    Dated: June 14, 2013.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-14713 Filed 6-19-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P
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