Generic plant protection products are products that are manufactured after the expiration of a basic patent or other exclusive rights, by a company that did not hold the original patent, and without (the need for) a license from the original patent holder. Off-patent products may be mere copies of the original product or exist as post-patent products that bring about another layer of innovation, e.g. by the mixing or re-formulation of active substances.
Generic products are developed, authorised, manufactured and marketed under the same strict rules and requirements as the (previously) patented products. They follow the same standards set for efficacy and safety to man and the environment. While fulfilling the same quality requirements generic products are often more affordable than the original brand-name products.