Monsanto Co has two months to present a defense of its patent on genetically modified soybeans in Brazil, a lawyer for the company told Reuters after authorities suggested the U.S. seed company’s intellectual property rights should be revoked.
Luiz Henrique do Amaral, an attorney representing Monsanto, said the company would present arguments ahead of a March 22 deadline to push back against patent officials calling for annulment of the patent on Intacta seeds.
Brazil’s solicitor general cited that re-evaluation by patent authority INPI in a case brought in November by soy producers in the state of Mato Grosso. The revised opinion could spark years of litigation in the world’s biggest soy exporter.
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About 96.5 percent of planted soy area in Brazil is occupied by genetically engineered beans.
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Global demand for transgenic seeds including soybean and corn is expected to rise to $36.5 billion in 2021 from $21.5 billion in 2015, according Zion Research.
Intacta is genetically engineered to tolerate the herbicide glyphosate and to resist caterpillars. Monsanto has been collecting royalties on the Intacta seed since 2013 after receiving patent rights in 2012. Its patent protection extends through 2022.
Read full, original post: Monsanto to defend Brazil patent on GM soybeans: lawyers
