|
The Delhi High Court last month concurred with Indian seed
company Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd, which argued that India's Patent
Act does not allow Monsanto any patent cover for its genetically
modified (GM) cotton seeds.
The case is being submitted for an expedited preliminary hearing
on July 18, said a Monsanto India spokesman.
"We remain confident on the merits of the case. India has been
issuing patents on man-made biotech products for more than 15
years, as is done widely across the globe," the Monsanto India
spokesman said.
New Delhi approved Monsanto's GM cotton seed trait, the only
lab-altered crop allowed in India, in 2003, and an upgraded
variety in 2006. The approvals helped turn the country into the
world's top producer and second-largest exporter of cotton.
Monsanto's GM cotton seed technology now dominates 90 percent of
India's cotton acreage.
The Delhi High Court's decision in April would provide relief to
farmers by reducing royalties and seed prices, said Kalyan
Goswami, director general of the National Seed Association of
India (NSAI).
Details of the Supreme Court's refusal to grant a stay on the
ruling against Monsanto were not immediately available.
(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Tom Hogue)
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
|
