Hi, I posted in a wrong forum and I think this is a better forum for this question. I am a question about plant patents.

From the plant patent website, the term of a new patent is 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States or, in special cases, from the date an earlier related application was filed, subject to the payment of maintenance fees.

I'm confused specifically about Nandina Gulf Stream. At the website below, I looked up the plant at the patent office website. There are two dates:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&r=11&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1=nandina&OS=nandina&RS=nandina

February 4, 1986

and

Filed: November 21, 1983

So is the patent valid until 2003 or 2006?

I would guess 2003 since that is the file date. However, Twyford has Nandina Gulf Stream listed with its patent number. So maybe the patent is up in 2006? Misleading or accurate information?

http://www.twyford.com/showplant.php?br=Nandina

Any help will be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Joseph

Thanks!