Jocelyn Bosse

Israel’s new measures do nothing to stop the starvation crisis in Gaza, say aid workers Humanitarian workers say airdrops and corridors to allow trucks into region have done little to stop the rising death toll

Aid groups report that Israel is refusing to allow any olives or other “fruits or vegetables with pits or seeds that could be planted” into Gaza. They will only allow in pitted olives.

The new cover is so cool!

‘This wasn’t obvious’: the potato evolved from a tomato ancestor, researchers find Hybridisation event took place about 9 million years ago, helping to ‘spark the emergence of a new organ’

New genetic research shows that potatoes evolved from tomatoes. The species were already known to be in the same genus, but the research confirms that wild tomatoes in the Andes were crossed with a plant called Etuberosum to form an entirely new lineage: potato.
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

You can imagine my excitement! 😄

You snooze, you lose: CJEU upholds cancellation of plant variety rights for failure to pay fees on time The IPKat blog reports on copyright, patent, trade mark, info-tech and confidentiality issues from a mainly UK and European perspective.

What's the worst that can happen if you ignore notifications for a while?

After the 'Melrose' potato PVR was cancelled, the CJEU yesterday explored how plant variety rights owners can prove "force majeure," and the lawfulness of electronic communications:
ipkitten.blogspot.com/2025/08/you-...

You snooze, you lose: CJEU upholds cancellation of plant variety rights for failure to pay fees on time The IPKat blog reports on copyright, patent, trade mark, info-tech and confidentiality issues from a mainly UK and European perspective.

What's the worst that can happen if you ignore notifications for a while?

After the 'Melrose' potato PVR was cancelled, the CJEU yesterday explored how plant variety rights owners can prove "force majeure," and the lawfulness of electronic communications:
ipkitten.blogspot.com/2025/08/you-...

A monochrome suit? In 2025? Groundbreaking.

Keep seeing photos from the new Devil Wears Prada set and getting mad at how BORING fashion has become.

Former magistrate, 81, faces six months in jail for Pales... Cornish pensioner arrested at Truro cathedral falls foul of government’s labelling of direct action group as a terrorist organisation

This remarkable woman has very successfully shown what a mockery our steadfastly and quite far right wing Labour government has become. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

It's all fun and games with vague invocations of 'the working class' to justify racist sh*t and then a black working class hero gets brutalised for engaging in anti-imperialist solidarity and it's *crickets*

Photo of a typical plant of ‘Lady in Red’ grown outdoors in Ladek, Poland, photographed in October with the darkest red foliage. This plant is approximately 3-years old, shown growing in the ground.

A close-up view of the foliage of this plant, showing its red colour with some stripes of green.

Silvergrass (Miscanthus sinensis) plant named 'Lady in Red'

US #PlantPatent 36,870 (granted today).

The variety was bred is Poland, and is distinguished by its spectacular red foliage in autumn.

People with labs who have PhDs and postdocs do most of the core research for them can keep publishing

People in disciplines like law who do the core research themselves have little hope given the rare and fragmented opportunities to think and write among all the teaching and admin and other duties

Front page of article entitled "Before the High Court: the legal systematics of Cannabis" by Jocelyn Bosse, published in the Griffith Law Review.

The law has often classified plants differently from scientists.

Dennis points to Nix v. Hedden (1893), where SCOTUS classified tomatoes as "fruits" rather than “vegetables” for tariff purposes.

My work has highlighted a similar approach to Cannabis in the 1970s: pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publicati...

a photomicrograph of ‘Brominata’ tetrasporophyte material growing in the laboratory, showing the unusually large gland cells (the orange/black dots). The gland cells are what contains the active ingredient (bromoform). Large gland cells indicate an unusually high concentration of bromoform

We're starting to see more plant patents for algae, such as this Asparagopsis algae named ‘Brominata’ (#PlantPatent 34,607, granted 20 September 2022).

We'll see if this interpretation ever get a judicial challenge...

The patentability of mushrooms – A case note

As myself and Michael Kock have argued, the same approach should be taken to the interpretation of "plant and animal varieties" under European patent law.

Mushrooms are the subject of plant variety rights, and should be excluded from patentability (contra the UPC): pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publicati...

Front page of article entitled "Before the High Court: the legal systematics of Cannabis" by Jocelyn Bosse, published in the Griffith Law Review.

The law has often classified plants differently from scientists.

Dennis points to Nix v. Hedden (1893), where SCOTUS classified tomatoes as "fruits" rather than “vegetables” for tariff purposes.

My work has highlighted a similar approach to Cannabis in the 1970s: pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publicati...

Dennis points out there's been no judicial consideration of the treatment of macrofungi and algae as plants.

The only case concerns the exclusion of bacteria: In re Arzberger (1940) says "plant" should interpreted in accordance with its common English meaning, not in the "strict, scientific sense"

Photo from Plant Patent No. 27 (granted on 20 September 1932) for a variety of mushroom, showing three white mushrooms, one sliced in half

Some of the earliest plant patents were for mushrooms, such as #PlantPatent No. 27 (granted in 1932) for a variety called 'Golden White'.

...although at the time, this wasn't such a controversial move, since fungi and plants weren't recognised as separate kingdoms until decades later.

Fungi, Bacteria and the U.S. Plant Patent Act by Dennis Crouch It was probably middle school biology where I learned that plants and fungi are classified in two …

The latest post in Patently-O (@denniscrouch.bsky.social) looks at how the word "plants" is interpreted under the Plant Patent Act of 1930 to include algae and macrofungi (i.e. mushrooms).

On the surface, this contradicts the current scientific classification of life: patentlyo.com/patent/2025/...

Four 'PremA047' fruits. The red apples are stacked in a pyramid

Dozens of 'PremA047' fruits, showing the view from above

white blossoms of ‘PremA047’ on a tree growing outside on a sunny blue day

flower buds of ‘PremA047’, which are a deep pink-red in colour

A variety of apple named 'PremA047'

US #PlantPatent 36,839 (granted today).

The variety was bred in New Zealand. It is a cross between 'Scifresh', aka the JAZZ™ apple (PP 13,888) and an unpatented variety called 'A174R01T204'.

Four 'PremA047' fruits. The red apples are stacked in a pyramid

Dozens of 'PremA047' fruits, showing the view from above

white blossoms of ‘PremA047’ on a tree growing outside on a sunny blue day

flower buds of ‘PremA047’, which are a deep pink-red in colour

A variety of apple named 'PremA047'

US #PlantPatent 36,839 (granted today).

The variety was bred in New Zealand. It is a cross between 'Scifresh', aka the JAZZ™ apple (PP 13,888) and an unpatented variety called 'A174R01T204'.

Occupied Palestinian Territories: joint statement, 21 July 2025 The UK and 28 international partners gave a joint statement on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The joint letter by 28 countries, many of them traditionally staunch allies of Israel, stating that the war in Gaza must stop www.gov.uk/government/n...

Not to mention the latest news that they're planning to charge an extra $250 per person for tourist entry (including those eligible for ESTA). Suddenly very expensive for family to visit or attend graduation!

"One of the submerged sites Mr Churnside surveyed was an area that thousands of years ago would have been a freshwater spring.

The spring is referenced in a Ngarluma cultural song his elders still sing today."
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

Country of Iceland successfully freezes out British supermarket's trade marks on the grounds of descriptiveness The IPKat blog reports on copyright, patent, trade mark, info-tech and confidentiality issues from a mainly UK and European perspective.

The EU General Court upheld the cancellation of two trade marks belonging to the major supermarket, Iceland, for being geographically descriptive for the Nordic country:
ipkitten.blogspot.com/2025/07/coun...

Why you're seeing new grape varieties at the supermarket Cotton Candy, Fire Crush, and Midnight Beauty are among a variety of new grapes making their way into Australian supermarkets as growers race to keep up with consumer demand.

Aussie "Supermarkets are heading down the pathway of wanting newer varieties over traditional ones like the Thompson and Menindee... chains [used to] advertise grapes as reds, greens or blacks, but some of these proprietary varieties are coming in labelled-bunch bags."
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06...

The comedy of international IP... Treaty text stripped of meaningful obligations and reframed around strengthening the IP system to suit US demands, but US denounces the treaty as a threat to the IP system anyway 🙃

"For the first time since the Famine, the population of the island exceeds seven million."

Irish tourist jailed by Ice for months after overstaying US visit by three days: ‘Nobody is safe’ Exclusive: For roughly 100 days, Thomas says he faced harsh detention conditions, despite agreeing to deportation

NEW: An Irish tourist visiting the US was jailed by ICE for 3 months after overstaying 3 days due to medical issue. Thomas agreed to be deported, but instead went to federal prison where he recounted horrific conditions + no medical care.

“Nobody's safe from the system if they get pulled into it"

Sharper photo of the whole plant showing salmon pink and yellow flowers.

Darker, pixelated image showing close-up of a cluster of flowers.

Peruvian lily (Alstroemeria) plant named 'Turcal139'

US #PlantPatent No. 36,828 (granted today)

The variety was developed in Mazé-Milon, France. It is distinguished by its pink/salmon flowers with a yellow centre.

(I also love Peruvian lillies, so I'm spoiling you with two plant patents today)