---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 2531"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "2531"
heading: "Ownership and assignment"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/2531"
units:
  - "Chapter 57 — Plant Variety Protection"
  - "Subchapter III — Plant Variety Protection and Rights"
  - "Part J — Ownership and Assignment"
---

# §2531. Ownership and assignment

- (a) Subject to the provisions of this subchapter, plant [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) protection shall have the attributes of personal property.
- (b) Applications for certificates of plant [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) protection, or any interest in a [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10), shall be assignable by an instrument in writing. The owner may in like manner license or grant and convey an exclusive right to use of the [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) in the whole or any specified part of the [United States](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-9).
- (c) A certificate of acknowledgment under the hand and official seal of a [person](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-1) authorized to administer oaths within the [United States](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-9), or in a foreign country, of a diplomatic or consular officer of the [United States](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-9) or an officer authorized to administer oaths whose authority is proved by a certificate of a diplomatic or consular officer of the [United States](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-9), shall be prima facie evidence of the execution of an assignment, grant, license, or conveyance of plant [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) protection or application for plant [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) protection.
- (d) An assignment, grant, conveyance or license shall be void as against any subsequent purchaser or mortgagee for a valuable consideration, without notice, unless it, or an acknowledgment thereof by the [person](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-1) giving such encumbrance that there is such encumbrance, is filed for recording in the Plant [Variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) Protection Office within one month from its date or at least one month prior to the date of such subsequent purchase or mortgage.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–577, title III, § 101, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1554.)