Dupont Wins Patent Infringement Case

NEW YORK - Mar 13/07 - SNS -- DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. says it successfully concluded its patent infringement dispute with Genome and Agricultural Biotechnology (GAAB), LLC.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in Des Moines issued a consent judgment holding that Pioneer patents 5,491,081; 6,192,967; and 6,538,175 were valid and had been infringed by GAAB. The patents are for the process that uses molecular markers to select soybean varieties resistant to soybean cyst nematode (SCN).

"We have invested a great deal in using molecular markers to increase the defensive package of soybeans," said Dennis Byron, Pioneer vice president, Crop Product Development. "We are pleased the court upheld our right to recoup that investment and fund future development.

"Marker-assisted selection is a critical tool for streamlining the development of soybean varieties that combine SCN resistance with superior performance. The technology enhances the precision and efficiency of identifying resistant varieties, which helps us speed product development and ultimately provides growers with more choices in combating these costly pests."