Monsanto prevails on GM seed patent
The Supreme Court ruled that farmers must pay Monsanto each time they plant the company’s patented genetically modified soybeans.
The Supreme Court ruled this week that farmers must pay Monsanto each time they plant the company’s patented genetically modified soybeans. Farmers are contractually required not to save and replant herbicide-resistant Roundup Ready seeds from previous crops. Indiana farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman had bypassed this rule by buying a mix of beans, spraying them with herbicide so that only the Roundup Ready versions survived, and then replanting them. The justices agreed with Monsanto that Bowman’s actions undermined the company’s patent. The ruling could have implications for other self-replicating products, like vaccines, cell lines, and software.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Zohran Mamdani: the young progressive likely to be New York City's next mayor
In The Spotlight The policies and experience that led to his meteoric rise
-
The best film reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material
-
'More must be done'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day