5 Million Farmers Sue Monsanto

[Kiforall]

Launching a lawsuit against the very company that is responsible for a farmer suicide every 30 minutes, 5 million farmers are now suing Monsanto for as much as 6.2 billion euros (around 7.7 billion US dollars). The reason? As with many other cases, such as the ones that led certain farming regions to be known as the ‘suicide belt’, Monsanto has been reportedly taxing the farmers to financial shambles with ridiculous royalty charges. The farmers state that Monsanto has been unfairly gathering exorbitant profits each year on a global scale from “renewal” seed harvests, which are crops planted using seed from the previous year’s harvest.

http://worldtruth.tv/5-million-farmers-sue-monsanto-for-7-7-billion/

[Cidersomerset]

Monsanto say the patent belongs for ever, this is a ridiculous situation
and any sensible person, even a Judge should realise this is
a con in the long term.


RHPXFQY66QA

Published on 19 Feb 2013


On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard the case of a small Indiana
farmer versus the bio-tech giant Monsanto. In the case, a 75 year-old
man is being accused of patent infringement by the company, but
Vernon Bowman isn't the only farmer Monsanto is pursuing legally;
overall the seed giant has filed 144 lawsuits against 410 farmers,
but do the little guys stand a chance against Monsanto? Here to
discuss the ongoing battle against the bio-tech giant is Patty Lovera,
assistant director for Food and Water Watch.

[Ilie Pandia]

Why on Earth would they buy Monsanto seeds in the first place?

Initially I had though that Monsanto is suing these guys for "cross pollination" from GMO to non-GMO, but this is something else entirely.

Also this interview seems to suggest that in US most of the crops may be GMOs but you have no way to know this stuff...

5 million united people may change something. One Supreme Court case I doubt would make a dent! Most likely a law will be passed in support of Monsanto.

[ceetee9]

Launching a lawsuit against the very company that is responsible for a farmer suicide every 30 minutes, 5 million farmers are now suing Monsanto for as much as 6.2 billion euros (around 7.7 billion US dollars). The reason? As with many other cases, such as the ones that led certain farming regions to be known as the ‘suicide belt’, Monsanto has been reportedly taxing the farmers to financial shambles with ridiculous royalty charges. The farmers state that Monsanto has been unfairly gathering exorbitant profits each year on a global scale from “renewal” seed harvests, which are crops planted using seed from the previous year’s harvest.

http://worldtruth.tv/5-million-farmers-sue-monsanto-for-7-7-billion/Kiforall, this appears to be from June 4, 2012 (at least a quick Google search suggests this). Is there any update on where things stand today that you know of?

[ceetee9]

Monsanto say the patent belongs for ever, this is a ridiculous situation
and any sensible person, even a Judge should realise this is
a con in the long term.It would seem Monsanto is lying (go figure) how long their patent lasts.
United States Patent and Trademark Office (http://www.uspto.gov/main/faq/p120013.htm)

[Lifebringer]

So they are charging for the seeds produced from a crop of the previous year, when they didn't nurture, water or clear weeds off it? NOR did they pick the harvest?

Get em' farmers.

[ozarkflyfisherman]

I live in St. Louis, Missouri. Their headquarters are a few blocks from my office. I have often wondered why I never see anyone protesting outside when I drive by every morning. Not one protester, seems odd as all my friends in Europe hate them with a passion. I dont expect them to fly here and protest, but the message is clear in the US too.
GMO's are no good, but with all of the talk I see online, I would expect to see more protests.
Just wondering....

[Kiforall]

Launching a lawsuit against the very company that is responsible for a farmer suicide every 30 minutes, 5 million farmers are now suing Monsanto for as much as 6.2 billion euros (around 7.7 billion US dollars). The reason? As with many other cases, such as the ones that led certain farming regions to be known as the ‘suicide belt’, Monsanto has been reportedly taxing the farmers to financial shambles with ridiculous royalty charges. The farmers state that Monsanto has been unfairly gathering exorbitant profits each year on a global scale from “renewal” seed harvests, which are crops planted using seed from the previous year’s harvest.

http://worldtruth.tv/5-million-farmers-sue-monsanto-for-7-7-billion/Kiforall, this appears to be from June 4, 2012 (at least a quick Google search suggests this). Is there any update on where things stand today that you know of?

Sorry, you are correct. The follow up is here..........Which unfortunately is dated Nov 2012

A lawsuit filed by a nationwide consortium of farmers against the chemical giant Monsanto concerning genetically modified seeds is headed for court again.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., will hear oral arguments in the case on Jan. 10 and is expected to rule within three months of the hearing.

http://www.kjonline.com/news/federal-court-to-hear-lawsuit_2012-11-23.html

[kaon]

Launching a lawsuit against the very company that is responsible for a farmer suicide every 30 minutes, 5 million farmers are now suing Monsanto for as much as 6.2 billion euros (around 7.7 billion US dollars). The reason? As with many other cases, such as the ones that led certain farming regions to be known as the ‘suicide belt’, Monsanto has been reportedly taxing the farmers to financial shambles with ridiculous royalty charges. The farmers state that Monsanto has been unfairly gathering exorbitant profits each year on a global scale from “renewal” seed harvests, which are crops planted using seed from the previous year’s harvest.

http://worldtruth.tv/5-million-farmers-sue-monsanto-for-7-7-billion/Kiforall, this appears to be from June 4, 2012 (at least a quick Google search suggests this). Is there any update on where things stand today that you know of?

The case was heard yesterday, and a decision won't be rendered until June.

Here's another article:

WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court on Tuesday didn't appear swayed that an Indiana soybean farmer can replant herbicide-resistant seeds covered by Monsanto Co. MON -3.17% technologies without violating its patents rights.

Monsanto requires growers to use the Roundup Ready seeds only for a single crop, and they can't use the later generation seeds generated from previous harvests. Monsanto imposes the conditions because its technology, which renders crops resistant to weed killer, reproduces itself in each generation of seeds.

Enlarge Image

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Vernon Bowman walks by the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington Tuesday, where arguments were heard in his case against Monsanto.

If farmers could replant later-generation seeds, they could avoid paying for Monsanto's biotechnology in future plantings, the company's lawyer, Seth Waxman, argued to the high court.

"Without the ability to limit reproduction of soybeans containing this patented trait, Monsanto could not have commercialized its invention, and never would have produced what is, by now, the most popular agricultural technology in America," Mr. Waxman said.

During oral arguments Tuesday, the justices considered the planting tactics of Vernon Bowman, who appealed to the high court after Monsanto sued him for patent infringement and won an $84,000 judgment.

For riskier late-season crops, Mr. Bowman bought and planted soybeans from a grain elevator that housed seeds harvested by other farmers. Those soybeans were a mix that included some containing Monsanto's technology. Mr. Bowman saved the later generation seeds from that harvest and planted them in subsequent years, suspecting they would be herbicide-resistant.

Justices across the ideological spectrum suggested Mr. Bowman infringed Monsanto's patents because his later generation plantings produced new seeds that copied Monsanto's technology.

Chief Justice John Roberts said companies wouldn't develop such technologies if others could just copy the invention without paying for it.

"Why in the world would anybody spend any money to try to improve the seed if as soon as they sold the first one anybody could grow more and have as many of those seeds as they want?" the chief justice asked.

Justice Elena Kagan voiced similar concerns, openly disagreeing with the farmer's position that Monsanto had legal remedies other than patents to protect its inventions.

Justice Kagan, however, also said the ubiquity of Monsanto's seeds raised concerns about the company's "capacity to make infringers out of everybody."

"Seeds can be blown onto a farmer's farm by wind, and all of a sudden you have Roundup seeds there and the farmer is infringing," she said.

Mr. Bowman's lawyer, Mark Walters, said Monsanto's theory of its patent rights was limitless, given the self-replicating nature of its technology.

Under the company's position, "any farmer who grows a soybean seed is infringing the patent but for the grace of Monsanto," Mr. Walters said. "And that's a lot of farmers in this country, when we have over 90% of the acreage that is Roundup Ready."

The Obama administration largely supported Monsanto in the case and joined in arguing for the company at Tuesday's session.

Industries from software to biotechnology have been watching the case closely because it potentially holds broad implications for any patented invention that self-replicates or is easily copied.

A decision is expected by the end of June.

Link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323764804578314562379880142.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[DeDukshyn]

Why on Earth would they buy Monsanto seeds in the first place?

Initially I had though that Monsanto is suing these guys for "cross pollination" from GMO to non-GMO, but this is something else entirely.

Also this interview seems to suggest that in US most of the crops may be GMOs but you have no way to know this stuff...

5 million united people may change something. One Supreme Court case I doubt would make a dent! Most likely a law will be passed in support of Monsanto.


You have to understand that this was "sold" to them years ago as a way to "help increase yields and profits" and "will feed starving kids in Africa", etc, etc.

Slowly over the years the farmers now realize all that was merely the trap, sold on their good intentions to become more successful and better paid at what they do - they didn't know Monsanto as the monster that we do. The problem is they started to use the seeds, now the soils are ruined and require GMO seeds and chemical fertilizer. It was all a long term trap - about 5 - 10 years in the making ...

Most commercial crops these days are GMO. When labelling kicks in, shocks will be had abound to find out that most of our foodstuffs are already GMO.

[andrewgreen]

Don't but Monsanto seeds, insane. Every American should come out and protest against Monsanto.

[Kiforall]

Launching a lawsuit against the very company that is responsible for a farmer suicide every 30 minutes, 5 million farmers are now suing Monsanto for as much as 6.2 billion euros (around 7.7 billion US dollars). The reason? As with many other cases, such as the ones that led certain farming regions to be known as the ‘suicide belt’, Monsanto has been reportedly taxing the farmers to financial shambles with ridiculous royalty charges. The farmers state that Monsanto has been unfairly gathering exorbitant profits each year on a global scale from “renewal” seed harvests, which are crops planted using seed from the previous year’s harvest.

http://worldtruth.tv/5-million-farmers-sue-monsanto-for-7-7-billion/Kiforall, this appears to be from June 4, 2012 (at least a quick Google search suggests this). Is there any update on where things stand today that you know of?

The case was heard yesterday, and a decision won't be rendered until June.

Here's another article:

WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court on Tuesday didn't appear swayed that an Indiana soybean farmer can replant herbicide-resistant seeds covered by Monsanto Co. MON -3.17% technologies without violating its patents rights.

Monsanto requires growers to use the Roundup Ready seeds only for a single crop, and they can't use the later generation seeds generated from previous harvests. Monsanto imposes the conditions because its technology, which renders crops resistant to weed killer, reproduces itself in each generation of seeds.

Enlarge Image

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Vernon Bowman walks by the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington Tuesday, where arguments were heard in his case against Monsanto.

If farmers could replant later-generation seeds, they could avoid paying for Monsanto's biotechnology in future plantings, the company's lawyer, Seth Waxman, argued to the high court.

"Without the ability to limit reproduction of soybeans containing this patented trait, Monsanto could not have commercialized its invention, and never would have produced what is, by now, the most popular agricultural technology in America," Mr. Waxman said.

During oral arguments Tuesday, the justices considered the planting tactics of Vernon Bowman, who appealed to the high court after Monsanto sued him for patent infringement and won an $84,000 judgment.

For riskier late-season crops, Mr. Bowman bought and planted soybeans from a grain elevator that housed seeds harvested by other farmers. Those soybeans were a mix that included some containing Monsanto's technology. Mr. Bowman saved the later generation seeds from that harvest and planted them in subsequent years, suspecting they would be herbicide-resistant.

Justices across the ideological spectrum suggested Mr. Bowman infringed Monsanto's patents because his later generation plantings produced new seeds that copied Monsanto's technology.

Chief Justice John Roberts said companies wouldn't develop such technologies if others could just copy the invention without paying for it.

"Why in the world would anybody spend any money to try to improve the seed if as soon as they sold the first one anybody could grow more and have as many of those seeds as they want?" the chief justice asked.

Justice Elena Kagan voiced similar concerns, openly disagreeing with the farmer's position that Monsanto had legal remedies other than patents to protect its inventions.

Justice Kagan, however, also said the ubiquity of Monsanto's seeds raised concerns about the company's "capacity to make infringers out of everybody."

"Seeds can be blown onto a farmer's farm by wind, and all of a sudden you have Roundup seeds there and the farmer is infringing," she said.

Mr. Bowman's lawyer, Mark Walters, said Monsanto's theory of its patent rights was limitless, given the self-replicating nature of its technology.

Under the company's position, "any farmer who grows a soybean seed is infringing the patent but for the grace of Monsanto," Mr. Walters said. "And that's a lot of farmers in this country, when we have over 90% of the acreage that is Roundup Ready."

The Obama administration largely supported Monsanto in the case and joined in arguing for the company at Tuesday's session.

Industries from software to biotechnology have been watching the case closely because it potentially holds broad implications for any patented invention that self-replicates or is easily copied.

A decision is expected by the end of June.

Link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323764804578314562379880142.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

We seem to have 2 cases going on here, there is an update for the older article, it isn't the Indiana case, but there should be a ruling in March

The lawsuit was filed in March 2011 by the trade association and more than 70 agricultural and consumer groups, with legal backing from the Public Patent Foundation, a nonprofit group that works to reduce abuses of the U.S. patent system.

http://www.kjonline.com/news/federal-court-to-hear-lawsuit_2012-11-23.html

[kaon]

Kiforall, You are correct. Thank You.
Although there is more then one case pending, what is going to really count is the Supreme Court case. That court will set the precedent(s) which the lower courts will be forced to follow when the major issue of the patents is decided.

[ghostrider]

As in every case, money is the problem... I long for the day when earth no longer uses money... those that have it , want more from those who don't have it ... I love it when one person wants some one else to pay for their ideas or agenda... you grow the crops and do the work, and I will TAKE a portion ( lol) and stick it in my pocket and you keep working and I wil keep taking and asking for more and more and more ... when you can't pay your electric bill , use some candles just keep my pocket growing because I have greed like a virus that cannot be cured ...wealthy corporations always want more... I say how much is enough ??? One trillion ? three trillion ? how much do you need , till you ensure the lights will not go out ??? oh ehummm when the farmers are broke and the government owns all food ...

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Salary cap the world at one billion per person... anything over that goes to the people and the people's needs ... not wants , needs ... food water shelter...

[etheric underground]

Why 5 million united people may change something. One Supreme Court case I doubt would make a dent! Most likely a law will be passed in support of Monsanto.
Come on ILIE PANDIA.... how bout a bit of positivity mate....I understand your a realist but lest we forget that out thoughts create our outcomes.....
I prefer to be an optimist and say ...Lets celebrate that 5 million people are awakening to being bullied and manipulated....

[Ilie Pandia]

Why 5 million united people may change something. One Supreme Court case I doubt would make a dent! Most likely a law will be passed in support of Monsanto.
Come on ILIE PANDIA.... how bout a bit of positivity mate....I understand your a realist but lest we forget that out thoughts create our outcomes.....
I prefer to be an optimist and say ...Lets celebrate that 5 million people are awakening to being bullied and manipulated....

You may have point there :). It's hard not to get disappointed these days when you see some lonely man going against a big corporation, but yes, 5 million people awakening and knowing better is a cause for celebration.

:tea:

Now I am cautiously optimistic...

Better :becky: ?

[Rich]

6.2 billion €uro for 5 million farmers would only amount to 1240€ per farmer, that is very little :ohwell: