European Patent Office Revokes Monsanto´s Species Patent On GE Soy Beans

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reposting with permission

 

European Patent Office Revokes Monsanto´s Species Patent On GE Soy Beans 

 

 

" This is an important step against patents on seeds, because it shows that

civil society will keep on fighting and can finally succeed even against

powerful multinationals. "

 

It is about time that this perversion of the patent law and others such as

the extension of patent times from 20 years to 70+ years, started in the US who

purports to be the defender of democracy, is finally being put in its place...

 

 

See also:

 

" The Earth is flat, pigs were invented by Monsanto, and genetically modified

organisms are safe. Right. "

 

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2006/05/15/the_earth_is_flat_pigs_were_inv\

ented_by_monsanto_and_genetically_modified_organisms_are_safe_right.htm

 

TV Propaganda Sponsored & Funded by American Farm Bureau and Monsanto

 

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2005/07/05/tv_propaganda_sponsored_funded_\

by_american_farm_bureau_and_monsanto.htm

 

Censorship, Monsanto & The Media: Boycott Monsanto Products

 

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2006/02/28/censorship_monsanto_the_media_b\

oycott_monsanto_products.htm

 

More Monsanto Shenanigans

 

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2005/01/13/more_monsanto_shenanigans.htm

 

Big bully Monsanto is at it again!

 

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2003/07/11/big_bully_monsanto_is_at_it_aga\

in.htm

 

Chris Gupta

http://tinyurl.com/23lg2g

--------------------

 

Munich, May 3, 2007. In a public hearing at the board of appeal at the

European Patent Office a basic patent (EP 0301749) of US company Monsanto was

revoked today. Reasons were that parts of the patent were not really new and

others

details were not described in a way that the invention could be really

repeated by other experts.

 

The final decision was the outcome of appeals which were filed by Canadian

civil society organisation ETC Group and the European Company of Syngenta.

Further oppositions were filed orginally by the NGO >No Patents on Life!< and

four

other companies when the patent was granted in 1994. Even Monsanto filed an

opposition, but then bought the company Agracetus which originally owned the

patent, withdrew its opposition and started to defend the patent.

 

According to Hope Shand of ETC Group, " The decision comes pretty late, 13

years after the patent was granted. But the decision to revoke the patent is

wonderful news. The species wide soybean patent of Monsanto is not allowed to

stand. "

 

In its orginal version as granted the patent covered all genetically

engineered plant species and especially soybeans and was seen as one of the

broadest

species patent ever granted on plants and seeds. The background of the so

called invention was a >particle gun< method by which plants get bombarded by

metal

lic particles and so introducing foreign genes into plant material. A similar

version of the particle gun (which does not allow a precise transfer of gene

sequences) is still being used today to produce not only in Monsanto´s plants.

 

Ruth Tippe from the organisation " No Patents on Life! " says: " This is an

important step against patents on seeds, because it shows that civil society

will

keep on fighting and can finally succeed even against powerful

multinationals. "

 

The outcome of the procedure will not only affect Monsanto but also the

European Patent Office: " It is now shown that the Patent Office is granting

patents

which are covering broad sectors of agricultural diversity without really

invention behind. There are many others patents which simply satisfy the greed

of

companies but do not give benefits to society, " says Christoph Then from

Greenpeace.

 

Greenpeace which was supporting the legal challenge of No Patents on Life and

ETC Group, is urging for a worldwide ban on patents on seeds and currently

cooperating in a global coalition with farmers organisation (

www.no-patents-on-seeds.org).

 

 

 

Eric Darier

Responsable de la campagne OGM

Greenpeace

454, ave. Laurier Est, 3e étage

Montreal H2J 1E7

Tél. (514) 933-0021 x 15

Cell. (514) 605-6497

Fax. (514) 933-1017

Skype: ericdarier

Internet : www.greenpeace.ca/f

 

 

 

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