Beta-tester feedback triage. The data model already had LotType.seedling as first class; the gaps were copy and UX. - Seedlings/plantones: broaden landing hero (EN/ES), in-app legal notice, and all legal texts (site + docs masters) from seeds-only to "seeds and seedlings", with a live-plant phytosanitary/transport caveat. Seeds stay the hero — targeted, not a blanket rename. - Backups: settings line now states the 7-day cadence explicitly; cadence lives in AutoBackupService.backupInterval as the single source for text and schedule. - Community servers: replace the manual wss:// text box with a checklist of the known servers (defaults visible/toggleable) plus an "add server" affordance with basic validation. No jargon in the UI. i18n across en/es/pt/fr/de/ast (ja falls back). Tests updated + a new server-picker widget test.
70 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
70 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
# Tane — Notice on the Legality of Exchanging Seeds and Seedlings
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**Version 1.0 — 13 July 2026**
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Tane helps people keep and share traditional seeds and seedlings. Laws about seeds
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differ a lot between countries, and they distinguish sharply between **giving or
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swapping** and **selling**. This notice is general information, not legal advice; you
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are responsible for following the law where you live and where your seeds or plants
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are going.
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## Gifting and swapping between amateurs
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Exchanging seeds **without commercial purpose** — gifts, swaps, seed libraries,
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conservation networks — is broadly recognized and lawful in most places:
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- **European Union.** EU seed marketing law regulates *commercial marketing* of seed.
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Exchange in kind between individuals, and the work of conservation networks and gene
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banks, fall outside or are expressly exempted; the plant-reproductive-material reform
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underway (proposal COM(2023) 414) keeps exemptions for amateurs and conservation
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networks, provided the activity is not commercial.
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- **Spain.** Ley 30/2006 regulates the *commercial* seed trade; non-commercial exchange
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between amateurs and conservation-oriented exchange are recognized practice (art. 24).
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- **United States.** Following the 2016 amendment to the Recommended Uniform State Seed
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Law, most states exempt **non-commercial seed sharing** (seed libraries, swaps) from
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commercial labeling and testing requirements.
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## Selling seeds
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Selling is different. In the EU and many other jurisdictions, **marketing seed of
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varieties not registered in an official catalogue may be restricted or prohibited**,
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and quantities, labeling, or species may be regulated even for small sellers.
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Exemptions for conservation varieties and amateur quantities exist but vary. If you
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use Tane's option to ask a price, **check your national rules first** — the app cannot
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do this for you.
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## Protected varieties
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Varieties covered by **plant variety rights (PVR/PBR) or patents** may not be
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propagated or sold without the holder's authorization — this can apply even to seed
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you bought legally. Traditional and heirloom varieties are generally not protected,
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but modern commercial varieties usually are. When in doubt, don't offer it.
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## Sending seeds across borders
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Most countries restrict importing seeds: **phytosanitary certificates**, prohibited
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species lists, and quarantine rules commonly apply — even to small envelopes between
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individuals, and also **within** the EU for certain species (plant passport rules).
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Before mailing seeds to another country, check the rules of the destination country.
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The safest exchanges are local ones — which is what Tane is designed for.
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## Seedlings and live plants
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The same principles apply to seedlings, cuttings, bulbs and other live plant material —
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but live plants are usually regulated **more strictly** than seed. Plant-health
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(phytosanitary) rules, plant-passport requirements inside the EU, and quarantine on
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import commonly apply to living plants even when the equivalent seed is exempt. Keep
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seedling exchanges local, and check plant-health rules before moving live plants
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between regions or across borders.
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## Invasive and protected species
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Some species may not be exchanged at all in some regions, either because they are
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**invasive** there or because they are **protected**. Lists are regional; check yours.
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---
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*Tane takes no commission, mediates no transaction, and verifies no offer: exchanges
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are private dealings between the people involved (see the
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[Terms of use](terms-of-use.md)). This notice exists so those dealings are informed
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ones.*
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