Hi Karen, Great topic and can't wait to hear some stories. I just don't have the time at ther moment to tell mine. Can I suggest you post the question on specific sites and you may find someone who is able to tell you a story or 2. Also, try other places on the web. I know the Hibiscus Web sites, IHS(International hibiscus Society) and THML (Tropical Hibiscsu mailing List), have members that may be able to.
Good luck.
Regards, Brian Kerr.

Hi Karen,

I think that there are people on the rose forum who have introduced roses and could offer some insight. It might be worth a try to post there.

Marbree

Here is a link that might be useful: The Rose Forum

I bred new tomato lines from crossing heirloom types. I also am releasing worthy hybrids from that effort.

At this point I am not worried about making money from it for myself.

What I have chosen to do is to have several tomato plant sellers carry it and release them that way. The money made from the plants is then donated to autism charities (I have a son who has autism).

I just started this last year and between the two growers listed and selling myslef here locally we were able to donate about two thousand dollars to benefit autism charities.

See link. The page is not up to date but you can get an idea of what I have been doing.

Here is a link that might be useful: releases

Hortist,
I had a chance to look at your link, and even link the book about mercury in vacines. We too have a mildly challenged son with another diagnosis. I hope you are in great medical hands:)

Thx for teh plant info. I'm guessing then that you trialed your own line then took it to these smaller companies. I'm assuming if there was a contract involved it did not list the company as having the "right of first refusal" since they are both carrying it. I'm also guessing the webpage is then paid for by you or them to advertise?
Well you can set me straight if I'm guessing wrong. That's a lot more $ then I expected out of an arrangement like this but then I guess that is the whole thing not just a percentage or one time payment. Perhaps knowing the proceeds are going to a good cause also helps sales.

Feel free to comment.

Brian and Mabtree- THX! I did try the places you suggested with NO success. :) Good idea tho to try....

Karen

Well, if not stories, I'd love to hear/read about some of the legal stuff involved myself.

My eldest child went through a variety of labels/diagnoses, eventually they settled on "developmental delay" - no one ever bothered to tell us that it was actually a milder form of autism. It's certainly been a challenge at times. It remains up for debate on whether Pitocin tried for inducing labour was the culprit or mercury in his first vaccination series - we nearly lost him after his first series of vaccinations and ended up first getting a letter from a doctor to say he wasn't to receive the standard DPT (his symptoms were assumed from the pertussis part of the vaccine) but later I got a religious exemption for all vaccinations and with our other three children we avoided the vaccinations altogether for fear of a "repeat"... scary stuff... too bad it can't be reversed. Breaks my heart. It could be worse, truly, but I found that the public school system additionally made it worse - he wasn't affected enough to fit into their available "special education" classes yet he couldn't keep up or stay on track with regular classes - so the PS system had him falling between the cracks, passing him on due to size and age alone... ended up pulling him (and the others) out of PS to homeschool instead.

But, back on topic... yes, any info on the hoops to jump through for new strains, introduction, etc. would be great. I'm not keen on plant patents myself and I'm pro-OP.