this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2025
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Ackshually, most Apple varieties are patented.
Apple companies put in tons of effort in developing new varieties, and to keep control of their "intellectual property" they patent them.
Here, for example, is the now expired patent for the "Apple tree Cripps Pink cultivar."
https://patents.google.com/patent/USPP7880P/en
So, sadly, not actually open source unless you're dealing with a variety with an expired patent.
Further, traditional apples grown in the "Johnny Appleseed" type of way (from seed) resulted in mostly inedible apples, which is why things like the alcoholic beverages Apple Cider and Applejack were so popular at the time.
These days, to ensure apples are indeed tasty and edible, as well as tasting the same every time, they are generally clones much like bananas, instead of grown from seed.
Yeah I worked in the industry for a while. A vast majority of apple fruit and apple based products are copyrighted.
I thought in most cases its actually not Patents, nor Copyrights, but Trademarks.
Which was an important distinction because unlike patents which expire after 20 years, and copyright which is life of the author plus 70 years or something, trademarks never expire.
So if you want to sell Y branded apples you have to join the Y growers association who own the trademark and pay them fees for every tree you plant, and that will continue forever. On the flip side, if they don't also get a patent, then if you could get your hands on the seeds you'd be able to grow and sell Y apples but you'd have to come up with a different name / trademark for them.
and because these monocultures lack genetic diversity they are way more at risk of being wiped out, like the original bananas https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gros_Michel
time to pirate apples