Seed companies say Monsanto spreading falsehoods on patent rights

NEW DELHI: Indian seed companies have accused US major Monsanto of deliberately spreading falsehoods on patents and claiming patent rights on seeds and plant varieties. “It is very evident that Monsanto has been aware that it does not have any legal right on seeds and plant varieties, yet they continued to falsely represent they have patent rights on seeds and plant varieties before various regulatory authorities functioning under Environment Protection Act, Seeds Act as well as PPVFR Act,”

National Seed Association of India ( NSAI) has alleged in a letter to the joint secretary (seeds) in the agriculture ministry this week. Monsanto’s spokesman was not immediately available for a comment, although the agricultural biotechnology multinational has said in the past that its position on patents is consistent with prevailing laws and established global norms.

Monsanto, which is being acquired by German chemicals giant Bayer, is battling Indian seed companies as well as the government over moves to control prices of genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds and the royalty it can charge.

Officials of the patent office have clarified in a meeting that while genes and biotechnology processes can be patented, seeds and transgenic plants cannot be patented.

“Under PPVFR Act, trait value fixation power lies with the authority and Monsanto cannot unilaterally decide the trait value on its own,” Kalyan Goswami, executive director of NSAI.