The Plant Patent Office
The USPTO grants plant patents for this period, from the date of filing.
What is 20 years?
This company patented a technology that lets users rent movies by mail. In 2006, it found itself at the center of a major patent dispute with a competitor over the technology behind its subscription service.
What is Netflix?
For plants to be qualified for patent protection, they must be asexually reproduced, meaning they can be propagated through granting, rooting or tissue culture, but NOT by this.
What is seed (or seeds)?
In the early 2000’s, this toy company fought over who owned the IP behind the Bratz dolls. The dispute began when a former employee who had worked on Barbie developed the Bratz concept while still employed by the company.
What is Mattel?
Plant patent applications are most like this type of patent application.
What is a “utility” patent?
This instant-camera company famously sued Kodak in 1976 for patent infringement after Kodak entered the instant-photography market. The dispute ended in Kodak being ordered to stop selling its instant cameras and film and pay hundreds of millions of dollars.
What is Polaroid?
In 2020, this “Knock Out” type of flower was patented for its disease resistance, prolific blooming, and low maintenance requirements.
What is a rose?
This company sued competitors over its famous foam clogs, asserting U.S. Patent No. 6,993,858 and U.S. Design Patent No. D517,789. The latter covered the ornamental design of the now-iconic footwear.
What is Crocs?
This fruit, widely available at our local grocery stores, was patented by researchers at the University of Minnesota in 1991, for its unique flavor and texture, and has been licensed to many growers.
What is the “Honeycrisp” apple?
Before becoming one of the biggest names in fitness, this company was sued by NEC over streaming technology used in its connected bikes. In 2026, a jury found infringement of U.S. Patent No. 8,752,101 and awarded $20.5 million.
What is Peloton?