Quote:
Originally Posted by JFK
Why Shouldn't they be able to patent protect that seed? Cargill/Viterra/Monsanto/Bayer/Dow put millions and millions and millions into researching and developing that seed.
If it wasn't patent protected, anyone and everyone would sell that seed and it would sewer the price. These companies would never get back the money they invested into developing this seed, and so they simply would not invest any money or time into it at all.
It's because of these companies and their patent protected seed that farmers are able to buy high yielding, high protein, disease resistant seed.
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Patenting seed isn't a problem, but the problem has to do with indiscriminate patent enforcement. Example is one farmer bought Monsanto seed and the farmer next to him didn't. Because of things like cross pollination, Monsanto patented gene seed characteristics spread to the farmer who does not purchase Monsanto seed. Monsanto now goes after the the second farmer as a non-paying customer and sues to force either removal of their product or forces the second farmer to become a paying customer.
Another thing is we still don't know the long term effects of many GM crops.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JFK
I'm not sure if you're serious here.
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Monsanto has a virtual monopoly on GM seeds sales. If they continue on suing like they currently are, it may only be a matter of time before they corner the entire market.