---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 2426"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "2426"
heading: "Confidential status of application"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/2426"
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"
---

# §2426. Confidential status of application


Applications for plant [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) protection and their contents shall be kept in confidence by the Plant [Variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) Protection Office, by the Board, and by the offices in the Department of Agriculture to which access may be given under regulations. No information concerning the same shall be given without the authority of the owner, unless necessary under special circumstances as may be determined by the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2), except that the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) may publish the [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) names designated in applications, stating the [kind](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-5) to which each applies, the name of the applicant, and whether the applicant specified that the [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) is to be sold by [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) name only as a class of certified [seed](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-6).


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–577, title II, § 56, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1549; Pub. L. 96–574, § 12, Dec. 22, 1980, 94 Stat. 3350.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1980—Pub. L. 96–574 inserted provisions relating to name of applicant and sale of the variety.