PBR Explained
Ever wondered what the funny-looking symbol on many of Fleming’s labels is?
It's a PBR symbol! What's that? Let us explain...
A PBR, or Plant Breeder's Rights is a way of protecting the huge resource plant breeders invest in developing new cultivars that can be sold across the world. Put simply any plant that has been ‘protected’ or ‘registered’ with a PBR should be entitled to a ‘royalty’. That’s right – just like an artist – particularly songwriters, who are entitled to a Royalty for their work.
The rights are a form of intellectual property (IP), like patents and trademarks, and are administered under the Plant Breeder's Rights Act 1994.
At Fleming’s we invest a lot of time and money introducing new varieties into the Australian market and Plant Breeder's Rights are used to protect these new varieties for the amazing people that work tirelessly on them. We don’t collect those Royalties – they are paid to the breeder, so they can keep on working their magic creating better products for us all to enjoy.
Unfortunately, not many people respect PBR and illegally propagate plant material and sell it under a different name. It’s an illegal practice but one that largely goes unpunished in Australia. So, I urge you all to ensure that when you select a plant or tree – make sure you know if it’s a PBR and be proud to pay that little bit extra for the creative minds that made it!
