Monsanto Wins Patent Infringement Suit Against DuPont

Gavel

Federal courts ruled in favor of Monsanto, finding DuPont Pioneer “willfully infringed” on Monsanto’s Roundup Ready technology.

Advertisement

In rendering its verdict, the federal jury found that DuPont and DuPont Pioneer had willfully infringed Monsanto’s patented Roundup Ready technology when it tried to patch the problems with DuPont’s own Optimum GAT (OGAT) technology that had failed in earlier development.

The jury awarded damages of $1 billion to Monsanto. The finding of willful infringement could lead to an increased award of damages in the case.

“Importantly, this verdict highlights that all companies that make early and substantial investments in developing cutting edge technology will  have their intellectual property rights upheld and fairly valued,” said David Snively, Monsanto’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel in a statement.

Top Articles
ADAMA Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results

Monsanto’s Roundup Ready technology was first commercially introduced to US soybean farmers in 1996. Today, Monsanto broadly licenses Roundup Ready technology to alfalfa, corn, cotton, soybean, spring canola, sugar beet and winter canola farmers.

Monsanto originally filed suit against DuPont and DuPont Pioneer in May 2009. The lawsuit sought to prevent the unlicensed combination of Monsanto’s proprietary Roundup Ready herbicide tolerant technologies in soybeans and corn with DuPont’s OGAT.

Source: Monsanto, Edited by Stefanie A. Toth, Online Editor

Hide picture