Monsanto Patents Against American Farmers Rejected

[nosmokes]

And the worm turns... It's about damn time a US authority officially recognises monsanto's evil ways.It's a nice early gift!
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original-pubpat






MONSANTO PATENTS ASSERTED AGAINST AMERICAN FARMERS REJECTED BY PATENT OFFICE

NEW YORK – July 24, 2007 -- The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has rejected four key Monsanto patents related to genetically modified crops that PUBPAT challenged last year because the agricultural giant is using them to harass, intimidate, sue - and in some cases literally bankrupt - American farmers. In its Office Actions rejecting each of the patents, the USPTO held that evidence submitted by PUBPAT, in addition to other prior art located by the Patent Office's Examiners, showed that Monsanto was not entitled to any of the patents.

Monsanto has filed dozens of patent infringement lawsuits asserting the four challenged patents against American farmers, many of whom are unable to hire adequate representation to defend themselves in court. The crime these farmers are accused of is nothing more than saving seed from one year's crop to replant the following year, something farmers have done since the beginning of time.

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complete article here

[AX10]

1. Montsanto should be RICOed!

[elehhhhna]

2. AMEN. Let the class-action suits commence, as well.

[TomInTib]

3. Goddamned right.

They just knew they were going to get away with those strong-arm tactics.

DoJ and Ag were gonna look the other way while Monsanto destroyed what is left of the family farms.

Bully for Patent, there is no appeal process that I know of (of course, I can be wrong on a semi-consistent basis).

I wish that the punishment would be that the Board of Directors would each have to consume a 12oz tumbler of RoundUp.

[ThomCat]

6. Hell Yes!

They're one of those corporations that is so large and powerful that the government apparently thinks they must be supported and coddled. But if there's a list of corporations that are too evil to be allowed to survive then Monsanto is on that list.

[piedmont]

4. Holy Crap!!! This is the best news ALL WEEK!!! (except it's old news)

If you don't believe me, watch The Future of Food on youtube.

Edit to add: The article is dated July, 2007. What is the latest on this situation?

[kestrel91316]

5. YAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!! OMG, this is FANTASTIC news!!!!

Monsanto would see us all starve for a few more dollars in their pockets.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. Isn't this the same story you posted last summer?

[nosmokes]

11. It might be. Showed up in my email so I posted it here. Didn't catch the

date but I still woulda posted it. Gotta problem w/ that? Nothing deceitful or underhanded about it.

[OnionPatch]

8. Another strike against Monsanto!! Yes!!

This is good news. Thanks for posting.

[hankthecrank]

9. Early Christmas present very nice K&R

[gratuitous]

10. Justice hoodwinked again

Gee, didn't those farmers read their contracts with Monsanto? Those greedheads are trying to take advantage of a poor, put-upon corporation. Probably want a government bailout, too.

Nope.

It just sounds like a dumb argument, whether we're talking about farmers or home buyers. Ah well, I tried.

[nosmokes]

12. You have a very skewed definition of justice. Must be using Rove's

dictionary.

[depakid]

14. Monsanto has also sued in cases of cross polination (contamination)

where farmers NEVER EVEN PURCHASED their crap seeds.

This is yet another instance of where intellectual property laws have run amok- as we've seen in so many other areas. Nice that the pendulum is starting to swing back the other way.

The best thing would be if the Supreme Court went back and revisited the case where living organisms were granted patent status. That one was wrongly decided and has led to a lot of abuse that probably should have been foreseen.

[Cha]

13. Good News.. I don't know

how to handle! Evil corporate bastards trying to take over the world.