patented or trademarked orchids.

[camille1585]

I agree that hybridizers should be able to protect their creations, but patents are not the way to go! It shouldn't be legal for plants. Plant Breeders Rights offer the same protection, BUT allow the plant to be used in other breeding programs.

In any case, even with protection, it doesn't stop ill intentioned people. A veggie breeding company I worked at has hybrid tomato seed production outsourced to china. Basically they provide the pure parental lines, the chinese grow them out, make the cross and produce the F1 seed. The trouble is that the chinese are taking cuttings from the parent plants, to be able to illegally produce and sell the hybrid themselves. The trouble is that even with the protection, taking legal action is apparently very very difficult....