In August 1935  Hass patented his 'Hass' avocado tree . Hass signed an agreement with Harold Brokaw, a Whittier nurseryman, to grow and sell the Hass Avocados. Hass was to receive 25\% of the proceeds. However, the patent was widely violated. Growers would buy one tree from Mr. Brokaw who had the exclusive right to produce the nursery trees. They would then re-graft their whole grove with the bud wood from that one tree. For that reason, Rudolph Hass made less than $5,000 in royalties over the life of the patent . (Patents expire after 17 years .) However, Rudolph Hass was the first person to have a producing grove of Hass Avocados, though it was a very small grove.
In August 1935 , Hass patented his avocado tree (Plant Patent No. 139).USPTO, copy of Hass avocado plant patent on the United States Patent and Trademark Office database. Hass signed an agreement with Harold Brokaw, a Whittier nurseryman, to grow and sell the Hass Avocados. Hass was to receive 25\% of the proceeds. However, the patent was widely violated. Growers would buy one tree from Mr. Brokaw who had the exclusive right to produce the nursery trees. They would then re-graft their whole grove with the bud wood from that one tree. For that reason, Rudolph Hass made less than $5,000 in royalties over the life of the patent (at the time, patents had a term of 17 years ). However, Rudolph Hass was the first person to have a producing grove of Hass Avocados, though it was a very small grove.
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'Hass' avocado tree . Hass
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