Monsanto Award of $1 Billion Against DuPont Reveals New Dimension of Genetic Patent WarsJoe Wright However, Monsanto exerts an overwhelming amount of pressure for perceived patent infringements, constantly suing farmers for their contamination of the farmers own land.Aside from being a billion dollar industry with their biotechnology used in genetically engineered seeds and companion products like Roundup herbicide, they use patent infringement lawsuits to thickly line their coffers. And apparently they have the support of the legal system in doing so. A huge verdict has come down on the side of Monsanto in the absurd amount of $1 billion to be paid by competitor DuPont. While it might seem like something to almost be happy about, since DuPont is yet another mega chemical corporation which has been implicated in damage to the environment and human health, this potentially sets a bad precedent to be cited in future legal verdicts, thus giving Monsanto even more legal standing and power. Perhaps most ominous of all, this legal victory was granted for a product that was never even on the market, taking on a new dimension in the area of patent infringement. (Source) TechDirt makes the following particularly salient points about the implications of this verdict against DuPonts never-released Optimum GAT soybean line: The verdict against DuPont* stifles competition by creating a monopoly on a certain form of agriculture. This gets into the convoluted world of patent law and territoriality, which ultimately leads to potential outsourcing of research to later be brought back to the U.S. when patents hit their expiration date. For those with a strong stomach, these legal and ethical arguments can be sifted through in the comments section HERE. Regardless of the minutiae of patent law, enforcement, and research outsourcing, the central issue remains that even in the world of the mega-chemical apparatus, Monsanto currently holds favor. Furthermore, it solidifies the position that Monsanto is pursuing against the individual farmer in cross-contamination claims, which have even involved Monsanto trespassing on private property, sampling a crop, then suing for royalties. This has led to the destruction of family businesses and farmer suicides. And where does it stop? Here are some interesting questions and answers posed by commenters to the above-linked comment section at patent law blog Patently-O. Reply Reply With new verdicts like this recent one, there is a fortress being built against anyone who wishes to opt-out of this provably damaging form of synthetic agriculture. The dialogue must continue if we are to retain our rightful ownership over the food we grow and consume, as well as the entire natural world in which we live. Or are we willing to accept that this is something we simply must compromise (or sacrifice completely) for technological advancement as a species? Please offer your viewpoints below in the comments section. *This case is set for review by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Read other articles by Joe Wright HERE You can support this information by voting on Reddit HERE 