asgrow seed company winterboer argued november decided january petitioner asgrow seed company protected two varieties soybean seed plant variety protection act pvpa extends protection novel varieties sexually reproduced plants plants grown seed respondent farmers planted acres asgrow seed sold entire saleable crop enough plant acres farmers use seed asgrow filed suit alleging infringement inter alia selling offering sell seed sexually multiply ing novel varieties step marketing growing purposes respondents contended entitled statutory exemption liability provides relevant part xcept extent action may constitute infringement farmer may save seed use saved seed production crop use farm sale provided section provided saved seed sold reproductive purposes buyer seller farmers whose primary farming occupation growing crops sale reproductive purposes granting asgrow summary judgment district found exemption allows farmer save resell farmers amount seed seller need replant fields appeals reversed holding permits farmer sell half every crop produces seed long sells half food feed held farmer meets requirements set forth proviso may sell reproductive purposes seed page ii saved purpose replanting acreage pp respondents eligible exception planting harvesting conducted step marketing parties dispute actions constituted sexual multiplication novel varieties since pvpa define marketing term given ordinary meaning marketing ordinarily refers act holding forth property sale together activities preparatory thereto require extensive promotional merchandising activities connected selling pp reason proviso first sentence allows seed preserved reproductive purposes saved seed sold purposes however structure sentence authorization extend saved seed grown purpose sale marketing replanting violate practical matter means seed saved farmer replant acreage sold thus farmer saves seeds replant acreage changes plans may sell seeds replanting proviso terms statute language stands way limitation appeals found amount seed sold pp scalia delivered opinion rehnquist kennedy souter thomas ginsburg breyer joined stevens filed dissenting opinion asgrow seed company winterboer richard stanley houston texas john lynch arnold white durkee bruce stein sidney williams lawrence maxwell mary ellen morris trabue sturdivant dewitt briefs petitioner william bode washington luis acosta william bode associates briefs respondents richard seamon assistant solicitor general drew days iii sol frank hunger asst atty edwin kneedler dpty sol barbara biddle wendy keats dept justice briefs amicus curiae justice scalia delivered opinion plant variety protection act et protects owners novel seed varieties unauthorized sales seed replanting purposes exemption however allows farmers make sales protected variety seed farmers case raises question whether limit quantity protected seed farmer sell exemption congress passed plant variety protection act pvpa stat et order provide developers novel plant varieties adequate encouragement research marketing appropriate yield public benefits new varieties pvpa extends protection novel varieties sexually reproduced plants plants grown seed parallels protection afforded asexually reproduced plant varieties varieties reproduced propagation asgrow seed company winterboer grafting chapter patent act see developer novel variety obtains pvpa coverage acquiring certificate protection plant variety protection office see confers owner exclusive right years exclude others selling variety offering sale reproducing importing exporting using producing distinguished developing hybrid different variety therefrom petitioner asgrow seed company holder pvpa certificates protecting two novel varieties soybean seed calls respondents dennis becky winterboer iowa farmers whose farm spans acres clay county northwest corner state winterboers incorporated name corporation business name deebee feed seed addition growing crops sale food livestock feed since winterboers derived sizable portion income sales crops farmers use seed brownbag sale occurs farmer purchases seed seed company asgrow plants seed fields harvests crop cleans sells reproduced seed farmers usually nondescript brown bags plant farms winterboers planted acres sold entire saleable crop bushels others use seed enough plant acres average sale price per bushel compared price per bushel obtain varieties directly asgrow concerned winterboers making business selling protected seed asgrow sent asgrow seed company winterboer local farmer robert ness winterboer farm make purchase winterboer informed ness sell soybean seed like asgrow varieties ness purchased bags plant biologist asgrow tested seeds determined indeed asgrow brought suit winterboers federal district northern district iowa seeking damages permanent injunction sale seed harvested crops grown complaint alleged infringement selling offering sell asgrow protected soybean varieties sexually multiplying asgrow novel varieties step marketing varieties growing purposes dispensing novel varieties others form propagated without notice seeds protected variety asgrow seed company winterboer winterboers deny asgrow held valid certificates protection covering sold seed produced varieties others use seed defense least charges rested upon contention sales fell within statutory exemption infringement liability found section entitled right save seed crop exemption reads relevant part follows except extent action may constitute infringement subsections section title shall infringe right hereunder person save seed produced seed obtained descended seed obtained authority owner variety seeding purposes use saved seed production crop use farm sale provided section provided without asgrow seed company winterboer regard provisions section title shall infringe right hereunder person whose primary farming occupation growing crops sale reproductive purposes sell saved seed persons engaged reproductive purposes provided sale compliance state laws governing sale seed may applicable bona fide sale reproductive purposes made channels usual purposes seed produced farm either seed obtained authority owner seeding purposes seed produced descent farm seed obtained authority owner seeding purposes shall constitute infringement asgrow seed company winterboer appeals federal circuit reversed although recogniz ing without meaningful limitations crop exemption undercut much pvpa incentives appeals saw nothing limit sale protected seed reproductive purposes amount necessary plant seller acreage rather appeals read statute permits farmer sell half every crop produces seed another farmer use seed long sells percent crop grown specific variety nonreproductive purposes food feed federal circuit denied asgrow petition rehearing suggestion rehearing en banc vote six judges five granted certiorari ii may well acknowledge outset quite impossible make complete sense provision issue one need go first words title establish section title claims ensuing text says reserve ight save seed since nothing elsewhere act remotely prohibits saving seed possible analysis proviso first sentence provided really proviso advance warning mysteries solved enter verbal maze entrance discover actually exit since provision begins excepting certain activities operation except extent action may asgrow seed company winterboer constitute infringement subsections section title shall infringe right hereunder person save seed produced use saved seed production crop use farm sale provided section emphasis added thus farmer qualify exemption infringement liability sexually multipl ied novel variety step marketing growing purposes variety use novel variety producing distinguished developing hybrid different variety therefrom pvpa define marketing terms used statute undefined give ordinary meaning fdic meyer slip federal circuit believed word marketing requires extensive coordinated selling activities advertising using intervening sales representative similar extended asgrow seed company winterboer merchandising retail activities disagree marketing ordinarily refers act holding forth property sale together activities preparatory thereto present case cleaning drying bagging pricing seeds word require promotional merchandising activities connected selling extensive one market apples simply displaying cart price tag market stock simply listing stock exchange market house normally say place market simply setting sale sign front lawn indeed dictionaries give one meaning market simply sell see oxford universal dictionary ed webster new international dictionary ed course effective selling often involves extensive promotional activities occur part marketing even holding forth sale relies upon advertising marketing goods process moreover even word marketing one meanings demand extensive promotion see reason law issue intend meaning effect preserving pvpa protection less valuable plant varieties eliminating varieties desirable marketed word mouth well effect requiring courts ponder difficult question much promotion necessary constitute marketing think statute refers sexually multiplying variety step marketing means growing seed variety purpose putting crop sale exception set asgrow seed company winterboer first clause farmer eligible exemption plants saves seeds purpose selling seeds produce replanting section next provides long person violating either shall infringe right hereunder person save seed produced seed obtained descended seed obtained authority owner variety seeding purposes use saved seed production crop use farm sale provided section emphasis added asgrow seed company winterboer two ways read provision depending upon words phrase sale provided section taken modify read production crop sale provided section alternatively use saved seed sale provided section parallelism created phrase use farm followed immediately sale provided section suggests former reading placement comma separating use saved seed production crop use farm sale favors latter reading fact alternative reading requires reader skip lengthy provided clause order find sales provided section despite parallelism provided provided despite presence colon ordinarily indicates specification preceded surely easier think least sales provided provided colon course unusual however deplorable may provided used prologue addition rather exception see springer philippine islands singer sutherland statutory construction ed think latter reading also preferred lends greater meaning provisions former reading production crop sale provided section later text referred provision bona fide sale reproductive purposes set second sentence crop exemption proviso referred since provide sale crops grown saved seed sale saved seed sale provision limited referent opening clause except extent reservation asgrow seed company winterboer infringement liability liability growing step marketing reproductive purposes devoid content since provision attached permit sales reproductive purposes latter reading contrast farmer may use saved seed sale proviso allows seed intentionally grown purpose sale sexually multipl ied step marketing growing purposes variety second respect favored reading gives greater meaning provision reading crop sale provided section causes permission given opening sentence extend sales nonreproductive purposes crops grown saved seed opposed sales saved seed separate permission required since already contained within crop exemption serves reminder crop saved seed sold exemption peculiarly incomplete reminder since saved seed also sold exemption summarize reason proviso first sentence allows seed preserved reproductive purposes saved seed sold purposes structure sentence however authorization extend asgrow seed company winterboer saved seed grown purpose sale marketing replanting case violated exception exemption apply practical matter since prohibits unauthorized transfer title possession protected variety means seed sold proviso seed saved farmer replant acreage think limitation also apparent text crop exemption permits farm crop saved seeds sold nonreproductive purposes saved seeds produced descent farm emphasis added view proviso crop exemption authorizes permitted buyers saved seeds sell crops produce thus farmer saves seeds replant acreage reason changes plans may instead sell seeds replanting terms set forth proviso course sell nonreproductive purposes crop exemption asgrow seed company winterboer remains discuss one final feature proviso authorizing limited sales reproductive purposes proviso allows sales saved seed replanting purposes persons whose primary farming occupation growing crops sale reproductive purposes federal circuit rejected proposition seed sellable exemption seed saved farmer replanting sought achieve limitation upon quantity seed sold reproductive purposes adopting approach primary farming occupation requirement proviso uyers sellers brown bag seed qualify crop exemption concluded produce larger crop protected seed consumption nonreproductive purposes sale seed say seller sell half protected crop seed words statute however stand way creative somewhat insubstantial limitation ask farmer primary farming occupation ask constitutes bulk total farming business selling crops reproductive purposes must constitute preponderance farmer business preponderance business protected seed simply way derive text narrower focus federal circuit applied thus quantity seed sold limited described reference original purpose seed saved barely limited limited volume worth selling farmer total crop sales reproductive purposes seems us unlikely result asgrow seed company winterboer judgment appeals federal circuit reversed footnotes except otherwise provided subchapter shall infringement rights owner novel variety perform without authority following acts commerce regulated congress affecting commerce prior expiration right plant variety protection either issue certificate distribution novel plant variety notice section title sell novel variety offer expose sale deliver ship consign exchange solicit offer buy transfer title possession import novel variety export sexually multiply novel variety step marketing growing purposes variety use novel variety producing distinguished developing hybrid different variety therefrom asgrow seed company winterboer use seed marked unauthorized propagation prohibited unauthorized seed multiplication prohibited progeny thereof propagate novel variety dispense novel variety another form propagated without notice protected variety received perform foregoing acts even instances novel variety multiplied sexually except pursuance valid plant patent instigate actively induce performance foregoing acts congress recently amended section striking first sentence words section provided follows period inserting section plant variety protection act amendments pub stat amendment effect eliminating exemption infringement liability farmers sell seed farmers reproductive purposes action however bearing resolution present case since amendments affect certificates issued april pending date see stat dissent asserts federal circuit demanding interpretation marketing supported ancient doctrine disfavoring restraints alienation property see post asgrow seed company winterboer wellspring doctrine course concern property rights context pvpa dissent interpretation rather belittles concern whole purpose statute create valuable property product botanical research giving developer right exclude others selling variety offering sale reproducing importing exporting etc applying rule disfavoring restraints alienation interpretation pvpa rather like applying rule disfavoring restraints upon freedom contract interpretation sherman act reading also gives meaning proviso statement without regard provisions section shall infringe right hereunder person engage certain sales saved seed reproductive purposes emphasis added serves eliminate technical argument production seed originally compliance done step marketing reproductive purposes retroactively rendered unlawful later sale permitted proviso sale causes earlier production step marketing reproductive purposes crops soybeans seed harvest one mean enough seeds one year crop acreage since germination rate batch seed declines time soybean farmer get seeds next year harvest vegetable crops seed harvest portion crop must permitted overripen go seed order obtain seeds one amici appeals asserted parties us dispute practice vegetable farmers grow seeds every four five years brown bag enough seed four five future crops vegetable farmer sets aside protected seed subsequent replantings mind later abandons plan sold farm example analysis able sell saved seed even though plant single year four five times current acreage asgrow seed company winterboer justice stevens dissenting key statutory puzzle meaning phrase step marketing used synonymous purpose selling holds see ante majority comprehensive exposition statute correct record dissent phrase conveys different message must reason congress used word marketing rather common term selling indeed contained subsection statute crucial language congress made act infringement sell novel variety yet mere two clauses later congress eschewed word sell favor marketing congress obviously prohibited sexual multiplication step selling presume elected prohibit sexual multiplication step marketing growing purposes variety congress meant something different moreover used statute marketing must narrower broader selling majority correct one dictionary meaning marketing act selling acts preparatory thereto see ante asgrow seed company winterboer congress prohibited one preparatory act sexual multiplication step marketing majority broad definition marketing prohibiting sexual multiplication step marketing broader prohibiting sexual multiplication step selling steps marketing ultimately steps selling marketing broader selling congress intend two terms coextensive marketing must encompass something less selling statute whole interpreted appeals indicates congress intended preserve farmer right engage sales seed neighboring farmers congress limited right express requirement sales may constitute primary farming occupation either buyer seller moreover makes abundantly clear unauthorized participation marketing protected varieties taboo one interprets marketing refer subcategory selling activities namely merchandising farm cooperatives wholesalers retailers commercial distributors entire statute seems make sense think congress wanted allow ordinary sale one farmer another appeals concluded want permit farmers compete seed manufacturers ground extensive coordinated selling activities advertising using intervening sales representative similar extended merchandising retail activities ca fed reading statute consistent practice viewing restraints alienation property disfavor see sexton wheaton wheat opinion marshall asgrow seed company winterboer seed issue part crop planted harvested farmer property generally owner personal property even patented copyrighted article free dispose property sees fit see univis lens straus statutory restraint basic freedom expressed clearly unambiguously cf deepsouth packing laitram majority recognizes meaning statute means clear ante accordingly persuaded appeals correctly interpreted intent congress doubts resolved purported restraints freedom affirm judgment seem consequence absolute power man possesses property may make disposition interfere existing rights others disposition fair real valid limitations power prescribed law sexton wheaton wheat page