Supreme Court Hands Monsanto Victory Over Farmers On GMO Seed Patents, Ability To Sue

[Purveyor]

The US Supreme Court upheld biotech giant Monsanto’s claims on genetically-engineered seed patents and the company’s ability to sue farmers whose fields are inadvertently contaminated with Monsanto materials.

The high court left intact Monday a federal appeals court decision that threw out a 2011 lawsuit from the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association and over 80 other plaintiffs against Monsanto that sought to challenge the agrochemical company’s aggressive claims on patents of genetically-modified seeds. The suit also aimed to curb Monsanto from suing anyone whose field is contaminated by such seeds.

The group of plaintiffs, which included many individual American and Canadian family farmers, independent seed companies and agricultural organizations, were seeking preemptive protections against Monsanto’s patents. The biotech leviathan has filed over 140 lawsuits against farmers for planting the company’s genetically-engineered seeds without permission, while settling around 700 other cases without suing.

None of the plaintiffs are customers of Monsanto and none have licensing agreements with the company. The group argued that they do not want Monsanto’s genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) and want legal protection in case of inadvertent contact with the company’s products.

The appeals court decision was based on Monsanto’s supposed promise not to sue farmers whose crops - including corn, soybeans, cotton, canola and others - contained traces of the company’s biotechnology products.

MORE...

http://rt.com/usa/monsanto-patents-sue-farmers-547/

[Mr Dixon]

1. SMH

Court is brought and paid for no question.

[Le Taz Hot]

2. This is bad.

This is VERY bad. The only way we're going to fight this is to ban GMO altogether. Unfortunately, this president seems to be in Monsanto's pocket so I'm thinking that's not going to happen real soon.

[djean111]

3. Been quite a successful day for corporations!

The TPP will just sweep up whatever is left.

[jwirr]

4. So the court thinks the most important thing in the food chain is not the farmers but the chemical

companies and the corporations. We are surely going to starve to death now.

[Berlum]

5. "Ha ha. Too bad about you human beings. Smirk. Sneer." - Mutant Scientific Materialists, Inc. (R)

[hootinholler]

6. Shouldn't an organic farmer be able to sue Monsanto if his crops are contaminated by monsanto genes?

I would think that to be spoilage by Monsanto's actions.

We need some legislation to establish the pecking order here.

[cali]

9. hahahaha. Monsanto has a history of suing organic farmers when their crops are contaminated

with their shit.

[hootinholler]

13. I'm well aware of that history

I just think the small farmer should have some protections.

[mathematic]

16. That's not what this suit was about

This was about farmers suing to prevent monsanto from suing them in the future. The subject here is pre-crime (or pre-civil-infraction). I'm not a lawyer or anything but the idea of suing to prevent somebody from suing you in the future seems strange at best.

Monsanto says they don't sue for unintentional infringement. The confusion comes from the (different) farmers that monsanto sued using "it was unintentional" as a defense for intentional patent infringement. If a large part of your crop uses monsanto seed, it's clear that the infringement wasn't unintentional. Indeed, the plaintiffs lawyer is this case maintains that this decision means monsanto cannot bring a suit for infringement if less than 1% of the crop is from monsanto seeds (a quote in the original reuters but left out of the RT rewrite). That actually seems like it's a best case scenario here. The organic farmers don't have to worry about suits for unintentional infringement and monsanto still has the rights to sue for intentional infringement.

[laundry_queen]

22. ....mkay. nt

[TroglodyteScholar]

24. Well, I guess we should just take Monsanto at their word

I trust em.

[mathematic]

25. That's a terrible idea.

I think they should have to prove infringement in a court of law. After all, that's what courts are for.

[cali]

7. we live in a corpocracy. and anyone who doesn't grasp that is a moron of epic proportions

[sakabatou]

8. Oh great

[sinkingfeeling]

10. When does that court start sewing all the corporate logos onto their robes?

[BarackTheVote]

11. I don't want

[Tuesday Afternoon]

12. we are fucked.

[ananda]

14. More bad news.

What's with these fucking courts?

Have they all been compromised?

[spanone]

15. this 'supreme' court has GOT to go.

wanna bet they strike down Obama's recess appointments????

who the fuck knows.....

[Berlum]

17. SupremO Clarence Thomas (R) was previously on Monsanto's payroll

How Republicon is that?

[Cha]

19. Right out of Nightmare on Elm Street.

[dickthegrouch]

18. Damned Supreme's are worse than the crooks

How can they possibly justify this kind of result?

What kind of corruption leads to this? How do we root it out?

[Cha]

20. Fuck monsanto's take over of America.. Europe doesn't

want them.. Mexico kicked them out.. but, the fucking fascist plutocrats in AMerica insist they assist in killing off our Aina.

Hawai'i gets this.. Yay!



Our Island of Kaua'i gets this..

Kauai approves 'Right to Know' Bill 2491

The bill requires farms to disclose pesticides use and the presence of genetically modified crops if they use more than five pounds or 15 gallons of restricted use pesticides annually.

The bill also requires buffer zones near schools, homes medical facilities, public roads, and waterways. It takes effect in nine months.

And, now GMO Companies are taking it to court.. a$$holes don't want anyone to know what poisonous shit they're spraying.. nor do they want "buffer zones" it would seem.

Kaua'i's Right to Know

[countryjake]

21. K&R!

[TroglodyteScholar]

23. I sure hope this SC isn't the one that ends up reviewing net neutrality

They are clearly fucking stupid.

[Berlum]

26. Stupid or sly (R)?

[woo me with science]

27. K&R

[peoli]

28. k & r wtf