Maybe some of you can answer a question that came up between me and a fellow gardener.

Just because a certain veggie or flower is an heirloom, does that mean it has been passed down and there is no ownership to it?

I mean, can there be a copyright to an heirloom. Do these seed companies have the liberty to just find any new heirloom variety and make it's seed available?

I know this doesn't apply necessarily to OP varieties.

Thoughts anyone?

Tom