TITLE: US patent likely for new strain of fragrant Pathum Thani rice AUTHOR: Kultida Samabuddhi PUBLICATION: Bangkok Post DATE: 14 January 2004 URL: http://www.bangkokpost.com/140104_News/14Jan2004_news23.htm l NOTE FROM GRAIN: The Thai government has filed for a US plant variety protection certificate (number 200200235, filed 22 August 2002) on Pathum Thani 1, not a US patent. Bangkok Post | 14 January 2004 US PATENT LIKELY FOR NEW STRAIN OF FRAGRANT PATHUM THANI RICE Pest-resistant, can be grown year-round by Kultida Samabuddhi The United States has agreed to patent Thailand's Pathum Thani 1 rice strain under its plant variety protection law, a senior government official said yesterday. "The government was aware of the dangers of biopiracy, so we used the World Trade Organisation's regulations on intellectual property rights to protect our plant varieties," said Wicha Thitiprasert, director of the Agriculture Department's Plant Varieties Protection Division. By obtaining the patent in the US, plant breeders and rice farmers in other countries, including America, would not be allowed to make use of the rice strain. "Thailand will now become the only country in the world that can export Pathum Thani 1 rice to the US," he said. Prathum Thani 1 was developed from Kao Dok Mali 105 fragrant rice, better known as Hom Mali rice, by the department in 2000. The new high-grade rice strain is said to be less fragrant but just as tasty as jasmine rice. The rice is resistant to pests and diseases and can be grown year-round. The US Department of Agriculture, he said, was expected to officially grant the patent in July after a confirmation from their scientists that the characteristics of Pathum Thani 1 rice variety meet the patent regulations on new plant varieties. Newly developed plant varieties that are eligible for patenting must have novelty, stability, harmonisation and uniformity. Also, the strain must be in public use for no longer than four years if it is to be patented. Therefore, Hom Mali rice was ineligible for a US patent because it was not new and had been distributed for decades. © The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd.