Monsanto has rubbished charges by Indian seeds firms that the global giant was spreading falsehoods about patents, and has accused the National Seed Association of India (NSAI) of misguiding people on intellectual property laws in the country.
"Their primary motivation is to justify using Monsanto's patented technology without paying for it in order to continue making windfall profits," said the spokesperson for Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech (India) Private Limited (MMBL).
"The interpretation of the IP laws being advocated by NSAI, which is led by the president of Nuziveedu, is incorrect and motivated," the spokesperson said. The statement was made in response to allegations of NSAI that Monsanto was deliberately making false statements despite being aware that its views on patents had no legal standing.
With regard to NSAI's recent advocacy of the use of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act (PPVFRA), Dr Paresh Verma, head of the management committee of the Association of Biotech Led Enterprises-Agriculture Focus Group (ABLE-AG), said, "PPVFRA does not apply to innovative biotechnology or the development of new transgenic plants with advantageous features that do not otherwise exist in nature and such inventions are in the domain of the IPA (Indian Patents Act)".
In the context of the benefit sharing provision in PPVFRA, Shivendra Bajaj, executive director, ABLE-AG, said, "The suggestions made by the seed association that a benefit sharing fund can be the mechanism for rewarding biotechnology innovators in agriculture are speculative." "The seed companies aim to expropriate patented technologies for purely commercial gains rather than conduct research on the patented technology or to improve biotechnology per se."
Meanwhile, the MMBL spokesperson said: "These seed companies under NSAI are attempting to intentionally create an unfavourable environment, which will deter R&D in the agriculture sector and will limit farmer's access to innovative solutions and technologies."
"Their primary motivation is to justify using Monsanto's patented technology without paying for it in order to continue making windfall profits," said the spokesperson for Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech (India) Private Limited (MMBL).
"The interpretation of the IP laws being advocated by NSAI, which is led by the president of Nuziveedu, is incorrect and motivated," the spokesperson said. The statement was made in response to allegations of NSAI that Monsanto was deliberately making false statements despite being aware that its views on patents had no legal standing.
With regard to NSAI's recent advocacy of the use of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act (PPVFRA), Dr Paresh Verma, head of the management committee of the Association of Biotech Led Enterprises-Agriculture Focus Group (ABLE-AG), said, "PPVFRA does not apply to innovative biotechnology or the development of new transgenic plants with advantageous features that do not otherwise exist in nature and such inventions are in the domain of the IPA (Indian Patents Act)".
In the context of the benefit sharing provision in PPVFRA, Shivendra Bajaj, executive director, ABLE-AG, said, "The suggestions made by the seed association that a benefit sharing fund can be the mechanism for rewarding biotechnology innovators in agriculture are speculative." "The seed companies aim to expropriate patented technologies for purely commercial gains rather than conduct research on the patented technology or to improve biotechnology per se."
Meanwhile, the MMBL spokesperson said: "These seed companies under NSAI are attempting to intentionally create an unfavourable environment, which will deter R&D in the agriculture sector and will limit farmer's access to innovative solutions and technologies."