---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 2423"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "2423"
heading: "Joint breeders"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/2423"
units:
  - "Chapter 57 — Plant Variety Protection"
  - "Subchapter II — Protectability of Plant Varieties and Certificates of Protection"
  - "Part E — Applications; Form; Who May File; Relating Back; Confidentiality"
---

# §2423. Joint breeders

- (a) When two or more [persons](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-1) are the [breeders](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-3), one [person](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-1) (or the successor of the [person](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-1)) may apply, naming the others.
- (b) The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2), after such notice as the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) may prescribe, may issue a certificate of plant [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) protection to the applicant and such of the other [breeders](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-3) (or their successors in interest) as may have subsequently joined in the application.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–577, title II, § 53, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1548; Pub. L. 103–349, § 13(g), Oct. 6, 1994, 108 Stat. 3143.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–349, § 13(g)(1), substituted “one person (or the successor of the person)” for “one (or his successor)”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–349, § 13(g)(2), substituted “the Secretary” for “he” before “may”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–349 effective 180 days after Oct. 6, 1994, see section 15 of Pub. L. 103–349, set out as a note under section 2401 of this title.