Monsanto Co., the worldโs largest seed company, canโt own a patent over genetically modified cotton seeds in India, a court ruled on [April 11].
The Delhi High Court verdict said that certain items such as seeds, plants and animals canโt be patented under Indian laws. The court rejected Monsantoโs plea to stop Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd., an estranged licensee of the company, from selling Bt cotton seeds in India.
The verdict underscores the challenges faced by multinational companies in dealing with the patent laws at a time when the country of about 1.3 billion people is trying to attract foreign companies to invest in mega projects. The government has been trying to strike a balance between the interests of consumers and companies spending in research and innovation, and to ensure that essential items such as seeds and drugs are available to people at affordable prices.
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โWhat it means is effectively Monsanto has no patent on seeds in India and they have never had it. They have tried to hoodwink the seed companies and farmers for years claiming they have a patent and making huge amounts of money from that,โ Diya Kapur, a lawyer for Nuziveedu Seeds, told by phone.
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