Other sections of this website outline the opportunities and obligations for growers associated with accessing OR1 soybean technology in the post-patent environment through the purchase, saving and/or replanting of OR1 soybeans, from their own seed.
In addition, Monsanto, the holder of the OR1 patent, made a number of other commitments to seed companies with existing OR1 soybean licenses to support the continuing availability and use of this technology in the post-patent environment. These include:
- supporting seed companies in the continued production and sale of OR1 soybean varieties after 2011, if that is a decision they choose to make;
- not requiring seed company licensees to destroy or return seed to the patent holder upon expiry of their OR1 soybean trait licenses;
- supporting seed companies that choose to work with the next-generation Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® soybean technology by not precluding them from selling varieties with the original OR1 technology after patent expiry, should they choose to do so; and
- maintaining full, global regulatory support for the OR1 soybean technology through 2021 in support of domestic and international sales and processing activities.