Syngenta and Monsanto Offer Farmers Broad Access To Agricultural Technologies

By CnAgri Print Syngenta and Monsanto announced that they reached an agreement that resolves a patent interference proceeding in the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office involving transgenic broad leaf crops. It also dismisses a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Syngenta that had been pending in the U.S District Court for the District of Delaware.

Under the agreement, Syngenta and Monsanto will provide each other with royalty-free, non-exclusive licenses related to the development, use and sale of transgenic crops containing agricultural technologies such as insect-protection and herbicide-tolerance produced through the use of the cross- licensed Agrobacterium-mediated transformation technology.

Additional details of the agreement were not disclosed.

"This agreement secures access for Syngenta to important technologies in broad leaf crops and will clear a path to future product development in biotechnology," said David Jones, Head of Business Development at Syngenta.

"This is a positive development for the agricultural industry as it removes hurdles that could otherwise distract us from focusing our efforts on developing new ag biotech products for our customers," said Robert T. Fraley, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Monsanto.