Two of the world’s biggest players on the biotech scene look set for a vicious court fight over their GM crops.

Monsanto has filed suit against DuPont in a row over the former company’s ‘Roundup Ready’ GM products, which are resistant to the Roundup herbicide.

“As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. However, unlawfully taking technology is neither imitation nor flattery; it is unethical and wrong,” says Hugh Grant (not that one), Monsanto’s Chief Executive Officer (press release).

DuPont’s subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred is allowed to sell Roundup Ready soybeans and corn. Monsanto though is unhappy that Pioneer is planning on combining Roundup Ready genes with its own ‘Optimum GAT’ modifications.

DuPont maintains that Monsanto has no basis to claim it should not be combining Roundup Ready traits with its own traits. It says its future court opponent is trying to deny farmers technologies that could help them with weeds resistant to Monsanto products.

“The litigation filed by Monsanto is more of what we have come to expect from them,” says Jim Borel, DuPont group vice president (press release).

“Monsanto has a long history of using litigation and aggressive tactics to preserve their monopoly and attempt to intimidate customers, seed partners and competitors. … We are disappointed Monsanto chose litigation and inflammatory public statements over civil discourse.”

In other news, Monsanto was knocked back by a German court this week in its attempts to overturn a ban on its MON 810 maize (see: Reuters, AFP).

Coverage

Monsanto Sues DuPont Over Biotech Patents – WSJ

Monsanto Sues DuPont to Stop Use of Roundup Genes – Bloomberg