Monsanto is known for bullying farmers by making
baseless accusations of patent infringement," said attorney Dan Ravicher
of the not-for-profit legal services organization Public Patent Foundation
(PUBPAT), which represents the plaintiffs in the suit against Monsanto known as
Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association et al. v Monsanto.
"They've sued and harassed many other farmers who wanted nothing to do
with their genetically modified seed and now that organic and conventional
farmers are fighting back, they claim they would never do such a thing without
backing up their words with an enforceable promise."
Nature has determined that seed and pollen can
drift great distances, in some cases as far as 10-15 miles, increasing the
likelihood of contamination of organic crops with genetics from Monsanto's
laboratories. These seeds and crops are referred to as "transgenic"
seed that has had DNA of foreign organisms inserted into its DNA through human
engineered processes. Plaintiffs use and sell nontransgenic seed, more
commonly referred to as heirloom, organic, or conventional seed.
Some plaintiffs have simply stopped growing
certain types of crops due to the threat of contamination. Bryce Stephens, a
certified organic farmer from northwest Kansas, had to give up on trying to
grow organic corn and soy once his neighbors started using Monsanto's
genetically modified seed because it could easily spread onto his property and
contaminate his organic crops, which would put him at risk of being sued for
patent infringement by Monsanto.
In the brief filed today, the plaintiffs point
out numerous errors in the district court decision that warrant reversal.
Some plaintiffs have simply stopped growing
certain types of crops due to the threat of contamination. Bryce Stephens, a
certified organic farmer from northwest Kansas, had to give up on trying to
grow organic corn and soy once his neighbors started using Monsanto's
genetically modified seed because it could easily spread onto his property and
contaminate his organic crops, which would put him at risk of being sued for
patent infringement by Monsanto.
Murphy went on to state, "No company
should be allowed to violate the property rights of America's farmers or threaten
their livelihoods through the use of frivolous patent infringement lawsuits
designed to control farmers and the food supply, while protecting Monsanto's
flawed seed technology and corporate profits."
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