Biggest Plant Biotech Patent Expiry: Roundup Ready Soybean Patent Expires soon

The world’s most widely adopted biotech trait, Roundup Ready® soybeans, is set to go off patent soon in the U.S. – the last applicable Monsanto-owned patent is expected to expire in 2014. Monsanto is amending all Roundup Ready soybean trait licenses to extend through the final patent expiration. As a result, the last crop year for which Monsanto will collect royalties on the technology is 2014. Licensees have no obligation to destroy or return seed due to expiration of the Roundup Ready soybean trait licenses. Monsanto will not use variety patents against U.S. farmers who save varieties containing the Roundup Ready trait for planting on their own farms after expiration of the trait patent. Farmers should check with seed suppliers regarding the

 policy for seed varieties developed by other companies and contain the Roundup Ready trait. Monsanto will maintain full global regulatory support for this first-generation technology through 2021. This will allow grain from the 2014 crop to be sold and processed. We will continue to monitor and assess the planned use of this first-generation technology beyond 2021 and work with appropriate stakeholders on any extension of regulatory support that may be needed. Universities will also be able to offer soybean varieties containing the Roundup Ready trait. A number of universities have been breeding with the Roundup Ready soybean trait for a number of years and they will be able to continue this both now and following expiration of the patent.

{Source: Monsanto Website}





What is roundup  ?


Roundup is a herbicide produced and sold by Monsanto  and is  a billion-dollar product that generates about 40 percent of the company's annual revenue.


What is Roundup Read Soybean ?


Roundup Ready  soybean is a soyben plant containing a herbicide resistance gene ( genetically transformed). This gene  makes the soybean plant resistant to roundup herbicide. Weeds in the  soybean field can be  eliminated easily by spraying the herbicide without affecting the soybean plant as they contain the resistance gene.

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