Here's my gripe;
When someone creates something out of the joy of creating it and another person takes that creation and paints it yellow and claims it for their own and then talks down the person who actually created it in order to elevate the status of their yellow rip-off, it's really unethical, unkind and basically just mean. And this is what's given me the sour taste in my mouth. I admit, Im frustrated, but I will work through it. I've got waaaay to much going for me now to stay in this spot. I just need to vent a little and I'll get over it.
I don't expect anything from anyone, least of all royalties or sympathy. I understand how the game of royalties is played, hence the comment about patenting. And although patenting isn't something I am interested in doing, I can promise you this, there are lots of others who are not only interested in doing this, but actually looking into doing this at this very moment. And once more, where's the incentive for the small time breeders sitting on a gold mine of genetics to not sell out these genes to someone looking to patent them? You get me? This lack of communal support for our breeders seems poised to potentially drive this whole seed thing right into the ground for all of us. And the access to these wonderful genetics that we've come to love so much right to a bottlenecking end.
Im surprised to hear of these "many accounts of my father threatening to sue people over intellectual property rights." Although I know my father has spoke on this matter before, I know it's also something he has really no interest in at all.
Myself on the other hand may end up being a completely different matter. It almost seems appealing to drag some of these issues into court at this point…but I digress.
As far as what seeds banks actually sell our seeds, Im literally unaware. If you think all the Blueberry seeds you see online or in the shops come from my family, you are sorely mistaken. As a matter a fact the overwhelming majority are knock-offs and there are no royalties received, only the complaints are directed towards me and my father and our brand. So when you say there are seeds available in the seed banks for 130 a pack, Im surprised at how accessible you seem to allude to them being, almost as if their offered at multiple seed banks or something. It's funny how many places whitaker blues beans are available even though there is only one breeding cut of the mother. Fascinating how that works out, eh?
There are no stipulations on what a person can or can't do with a seed once it's sold….UNLESS, the genetics within the seed are patented. When our industry refuses to regulate the foundation of ethics we've all been playing on, we'll leave no choice but for the patenting of genetics.
Take the genetics, make whatever you want with them. DO NOT however take the brand name along with the genetics, drive the brand name into the ground with a shitty knock-off and then jump ship to the next biggest brand name. What is it this week, gorilla glue#4? Take the genetics and make whatever you want, but don't be a dick and make something completely sub-par to what it came from and then swindle the person the genetics came from and your customers by calling it something it clearly isn't. Pure lack of creativity and innovation is what all this comes down to. People unable to work for themselves and then afraid they're gonna get caught stealing someone else's work, so they bash the person they stole the work from real quick…..childish.
Again, I do not expect royalties for the use of the genetics. I do expect the brand and the intellectual property behind it and the effort put into building it to be respected. Just as we would respect any other intellectual property. I may pirate music, but would I charge people for listening to it? No I wouldn't. And if I did have the balls to charge people I surely would try to tell them I created the music and that that other band everyone keeps talking about sucks.
"You are right, pirating and plants are different. A plant has many genotype expressions, even if IBL, a digital copy is just that, an exact copy. A selection of a plant is not the same, even if I start with the same stock as someone else. Surely you'd understand that, your father made selections from stock from other growers around the world. Wait, do they receive royalties and money from your dad's work?"-----Sure, I understand that. And you must understand that when someone does this and then claims to have Dj Short's strain available and sells it as Dj Short's Blueberry or Dj Short's 'wonka-berry' that they are actually stealing his endorsement/strain and brand? And for what? To charge a few extra bucks on a lb or pack of seeds? And to what cost to my fathers efforts? So that people can think the phenotype someone else selected or bred out is a fair representation of my fathers work and word? Fuck that. Call it your own version of wanka berry and leave me and my father out of this. While Im on this topic, this doesn't mean that you then just lie about what the parent strains were either, be an adult and have some fucking morals.
"Now I could see someone being upset over selling F2 of your father's work, but any grower probably wouldn't want those if they were looking for the real deal right?" ----and this is precisely what is occurring in massive amounts. Also, I think people may have neglected to see how easy f6's are to make, or they're just calling f6's f2's. Make all the f2 Blueberry crosses you want, or all the f6's of the IBL Blueberry's you want. Just don't call em Blueberry, and don't ride the coat tails of someone else's brand and work.
Yes, today is a new day. And this is why I've so haphazardly began this discussion about DNA testing and terpene finger-printing. If I may reorient this towards my original topic.
What will all of any of us who've grown accustom to making money from cannabis through the use of specific brand names do once those brand names are bough by corporate interests? What will any of you do when your first costumer comes back to you and says,
"look, I just need to say this, I've been getting this pot from you for years, and it's great, I love it. But the thing is that all these years you told me this was Trainwreck. Well, the other day I had it tested and turns out you're either a liar, or don't know anything about genetics, cause this isn't trainwreck.
All Im saying is prepare, because that day is approaching much faster than anyone seems to be ready for.
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