The variety is "new" as it comes from the insertion of the rr1 gene into the University of Arkansas public breeding line as opposed to the lines used by Stine, etc. in the private sector.
But presumably the significant gene of interest was the "roundup" gene (for lack of a better term) that provided the glyphosate resistance, no? Wouldn't that be the gene that is covered by the patent and the one that really matters? Is the rr1 gene related somehow?