Corteva Files Lawsuit Against Inari USA Alleging Intellectual Property Theft and Patent Violations for Bio-Engineered Seeds
Corteva Agriscience Inc., a global leader in agricultural innovation, has filed a lawsuit against Inari USA, a Massachusetts-based startup, over allegations of patent infringement, intellectual property theft, and patent violations. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Delaware, seeks to prevent Inari from profiting from Corteva’s patented seeds and genetic research.
The complaint filed September 27, 2023 highlights Corteva’s history in agricultural genetics, and the company’s track record of continually developing novel seed varieties with desirable traits. These advancements have led to crops that produce higher yields, withstand adverse weather conditions, and resist environmental threats like pests. Over the past decade, Corteva invested hundreds of millions of dollars in developing seed lines that allow farmers to grow crops more efficiently. To protect these investments and their intellectual property rights, Corteva obtained patents and Plant Variety Protection (PVP) certificates for many of its seed lines. These patents and PVP certificates prevent others from selling, exporting, or using the protected seeds for commercial purposes.
Inari USA, is a Massachusetts-based crop science company focused on seed technology. The complaint outlines that Inari claims to enhance seed quality through genetic modification but is alleged to not have its own breeding program. Instead, Inari allegedly appropriated high-quality seeds, including Corteva’s protected seeds, and made minor genetic alterations to them. Inari supposedly then filed for patent protection for these modified seeds, intending to commercialize them in various markets including in the United States.
The lawsuit alleges that Inari’s actions violate Corteva’s patent rights, breach its PVP certificates, and defy the explicit prohibitions set by the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). Corteva had deposited samples of its protected seeds with ATCC, a non-profit organization responsible for storing and distributing biological materials for research purposes only. Despite ATCC’s prohibitions, Inari is accused of illegally obtaining hundreds of varieties of Corteva’s protected seeds and exporting them to Belgium for commercial purposes without Corteva’s knowledge or consent.
Corteva is pursuing damages to compensate for Inari’s past actions and is also seeking a permanent injunction against Inari to prevent any future violations of Corteva’s intellectual property rights.