Supreme Court backs Monsanto on seed patents

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court gave a victory to Monsanto and other makers of patented seeds Monday, ruling they can prohibit farmers from growing a second crop from their genetically engineered seeds.

In a unanimous decision, the court said the patent for a specialized seed outlives the first planting. Otherwise, these seed patents would be “largely worthless,” Justice Elena Kagan said, explaining the decision.

Agribusiness giants like Monsanto will be relieved by the ruling. They told the court they had spent huge sums of money and devoted years of effort to develop special seeds that can resist disease and grow more bountiful crops. The companies then obtained patents on these seeds, giving them an exclusive right to profit from them.

Industry lawyers said the system of innovation and profit was threatened by a farmer from Indiana who wanted to use the patented seeds without paying for them.

Vern Bowman admitted he liked Monsanto’s Roundup Ready seeds because they produce soybean plants that can tolerate weed killers sprayed on the field. Each year, Bowman bought the Monsanto seeds for his first crop of the season.

But later in the year, he turned to what the court described as a “less orthodox” approach for his second crop of the season. Rather than pay the premium price for more Monsanto seeds again, he purchased soybeans from a local grain elevator. This mixture, which came from nearby fields, contained soybeans that had been grown from Roundup Ready seeds.

After eight years, Monsanto learned of Bowman’s scheme and sued him for patent infringement. The company argued that Bowman was benefiting from its patented seeds without paying for them. A judge agreed with Monsanto and awarded the company $84,456 in damages.