For 1), there HAS been such a case, probably more than one, but Monsanto
only needed 1 or 2 cases to terrorize the helpless. Thought I had a link or
something in one of my email folders, but no. I think it was, technically,
"patent infringement". Sorry I can't be more helpful. If you are really
NEEDING this info, and no one else can supply it, I'm acquainted with a
patent/copyright attorney...
For 2), I think the debate runs along the logic of "does our artificial
breaking & recombining of genetic material follow the same 'rules' as
naturally occurring mutations, and are we pushing the envelop re which of
those changes makes it into the gene pool ?"
Sweet corn: I know that the breeders working on those hybrids are
super-careful (for "super-sweet") to be sure of their isolation. Once the
seed is released, for the market, it's up to the growers to be sure of their
own isolations. Would have been interesting to see some court cases on
this !!
tc
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Peter Knop" <knop@erols.com>
Reply-To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [NAFEX] GM plants, corn , court cases
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 12:48:07 -0500
1.) Can anyone give me the citation for a court case where Monsanto (or
others) won on the "ownership" issue of drifted pollen?
2) Of course all corns we eat today are genetically modified if one wants
to be technical about it - hybridising modifies the genetics. Inserting by
mechanical or chemical means new genes is what I guess I would define GM
plants to be - does someone else have a better definition I could use?
I was growing supersweets 20 years ago as well as the old standbys -
results of hybridisation, but not GM or at least it was not called that at
the time...... And a REAL bummer was that if one was not very careful with
the supersweets they turned out not very sweet if pollen from anther variety
nailed them before their own.....or so we were told and so it seemed (taste
is a funny thing, like the placebo effect, one's mind can make strange
things happen :-)) Never heard of any court cases on ruining the neighbors
crop though.....
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