b"SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FIGHTING CRIMEThe Future Only Works Together: New Technologies and Modern Plant Breeding for Greater Sustainability IN THE SEED BUSINESSVOLKER UTESCHHead of Business Unit Corn for EuropeKWSSUCCESS STORIES OF THE AIB. BY: LIAM GIMONT he Anti-Infringement Bureau forconjunction with these groups to include Intellectual Property Rights onregular training and educational oppor-Plant Material (AIB) is a non-profittunities.association that protects the IntellectualAIB has also reached out to the inter-Property Rights of 15 member seed com- national police organizations, Interpol, panies. It was established in 2010, andand Europol, to combat PVP and PBR is based in Brussels, Belgium. The maininfringements. Since 2011 Interpol and mission of AIB is awareness creation forEuropol have conducted a joint operation, IPR in the vegetable seed sector and theOperation OPSON, that has targeted adul-enforcement of Intellectual Propertyterated and substandard food. AIB has Rights violations, to include violations ofjoined in this operation to promote actions Plant Variety Protection (PVP) and Plantagainst those who would infringe on veg-Breeders Rights (PBR). etable seeds. AIB has assisted Interpol/AIB has conducted a wide variety ofEuropol with training and planning for actions and operations against PVP andthis operation the last several years. In PBR infringers since its inception in 2010.2019 the former Managing Director of AIB is the first organization in the vegeta- AIB conducted a presentation about PVP ble seed industry to conduct these typesand PBR infringements and sat as part of investigations and operations againstof a panel at the 2019 International Law infringers.Enforcement Intellectual Property Crime While this process has been difficultConference for Interpol.and time consuming, AIB has begun toLiam Gimon AIB has also teamed up with the see excellent results from these actions.Interpol Intellectual Property Crime For example, in November of 2019 anInvestigators College (IIPCIC) to develop infringer was condemned to one yearinfringers for crimes outside of the PVPan e-learning module, Understanding imprisonment and a 15K euro fine forand PBR infringements. These crimesand Addressing Infringement in the illegally reproducing, with the use ofare often linked to the infringementVegetable Seeds Sector. This e-learn-prohibited techniques, a protected vari- actions committed by our usual targetsing opportunity is a self-administered ety tomato plant. The infringer was alsoand include such crimes as tax evasion,module, approximately one hour long, ordered to pay 50k euro in civil damagesfraud, counterfeiting or worker exploita- that breaks down the investigative pro-CONTENT MARKETING to the affected vegetable seed companytion. These criminal violations are easiercess for a PVP or PBR infringement. This Its All About the Story You Tell and 20K euro to AIB.to understand by the police and criminalmodule is available for free for all police/Another relevant ruling occurredinvestigators, as opposed to PVP and PBRgovernment officials via Interpol and is in January of 2022 where two infring- infringements. The criminal charges alsoavailable for a charge for all private sector LAURA BURTNYKProject ManagerCREATE ers were found guilty of having illegallyhave more serious penalties, to includeactors. AIB covers the cost of the module reproduced tomato plants of a varietysignificant jail sentences, asset forfeiturefor our members and other pertinent protected by PBR. These infringers werepossibilities, and stiffer fines.actors.sentenced to eight months imprison- As an example, AIB has developedAIB has taken the fight against PVP ment and a fine of 10,000 euros each. Theand encouraged cooperation and oper- and PBR infringers to the next logical infringers were also required to pay dam- ations with several Italian police agen- step by treating these violations as the ages and fees totalling 100,000 euros tocies. Historically AIB has worked withincrime that they are. By using the existing both AIB and to the company that ownsthe Ministry of Agriculture system, tocriminal statutes to target the organized the Plant Breeders Rights on the tomatoinclude actions worked in tandem withcrime groups and immoral farmers, grow-variety. the Il Dipartimento dell'Ispettorato cen- ers, and breeders, who illegally infringe AIB has recently begun to expandtrale della tutela della qualit e repres- on the PVPs and PBRs, AIB hopes to our actions to include contacts andsione frodi dei prodotti agroalimentariweed out those who would compromise groupsoutsideoftheMinistryof(ICQRF) and the Council for Agriculturalthe vegetable seed industry. AIB wants Agriculture sphere of influence with greatResearch and Economics (CREA). AIBall vegetable seed companies, farmers, success. AIB has initiated training andhas now expanded our relationshipsgrowers and breeders to work together has engaged in cooperative activities withand actions to include working with theto police the industry and to provide for several police and military organizationsGuardia di Finanza, and the Carabinieria level playing field for all players.to attack infringement issues via criminalForestali. AIB has signed a formal coop-violations. We have had great success ineration protocol with these agencies andEditors Note: Liam Gimon is General pursuing criminal investigations againsthas initiated actions and operations inManager of the AIBEUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEAN SEED I 47"