[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR97.14]

[Page 258-259]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
 CHAPTER I--AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE \1\ (STANDARDS, INSPECTIONS, 
       MARKETING PRACTICES), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED)
 
PART 97_PLANT VARIETY AND PROTECTION--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 97.14  Joint applicants.

    (a) Joint owners shall file a joint application by signing as joint 
applicants.
    (b) If an application for certificate is made by two or more persons 
as joint owners, when they were not in fact joint owners, the 
application shall be amended prior to issuance of a certificate by 
filing a corrected application, together with a written explanation 
signed by the original applicants. Such statement shall also be signed 
by the assignee, if any.
    (c) If an application has been made by less than all the actual 
joint owners, the application shall be amended by filing a corrected 
application, together with a written explanation, signed by all of the 
joint owners. Such statement shall also be signed by the assignee, if 
any.
    (d) If a joint owner refuses to join in an application or cannot be 
found after diligent effort, the remaining owner may file an application 
on behalf of him or herself and the missing owner. Such application 
shall be accompanied by a written explanation and shall state the last 
known address of the missing owner. Notice of the filing of the 
application shall be forwarded by the Office to the missing owner at the 
last known address. If such notice is returned to the Office 
undelivered, or if

[[Page 259]]

the address of the missing owner is unknown, notice of the filing of the 
application shall be published once in the Official Journal. Prior to 
the issuance of the certificate, a missing owner may join in an 
application by filing a written explanation. A certificate obtained by 
less than all of the joint owners under this paragraph conveys the same 
rights and privileges to said owners as though all of the original 
owners had joined in an application.