GM and Property Rights

international | environment | news report

Monday October 13, 2003 02:10

by ollie - katalyzer

Risk, Responsibility and Rakin' it in

Just to help ppl get their heads around the epoc-shifting scale of Genetic Engineering, here's two little pieces of news -

1. Ontario's government are being sued for offering cheap breast cancer treatment.

Taken from -
http://www.percyschmeiser.com/Ontario.htm

'Myriad Genetics, threatened to sue the province for not paying royalties on tests for genetic predisposition to breast cancer. '

Myriad Genetics 'claims a patent over certain genes responsible for cancer, and its test costs three times as much as the one Ontario uses', (DENNIS BUECKERT Canadian Press )

2. Monsanto sued a Farmer in Canada, Perry Schmeiser, for illegally using their GM Roundup resistant Canola. He says it is a weed and pollutant, and that it cross-pollinated over to his farm, seriously damaging his crop and yield. They say that it doesn't actually matter how the plants got there! They don't accept responsibility for cross-pollination. Monsanto actually WON in court.

According to Schmeiser's website http://www.percyschmeiser.com

"The Federal Court of Canada issued their judgment in the case of Monsanto vs Schmeiser Enterprises over the technology use fee for Round Up Ready canola on March 29, 2001. Justice Andrew McKay upheld the validity of Monsanto's patented gene which it inserts into canola varieties to make them resistant to their herbicide Round Up.

McKay dismissed Schmeiser's challenge to the patent based on the claim Monsanto could not control how the gene was dispersed through the countryside"

Schmeiser is appealing to the Canadian Supreme Court. His case will be heard in Jan 04.

So, if you are polluted by GM, you can be sued for using GM. If it destroys your crop and livelihood, that's just proof you used it now isn't it! In fact, if the company suspects you of using their seeds, they can accuse you of using their seeds, and settle out-of-court, as they did with almost every other accused farmer in Canada. Just sending these letters and settling out-of-court usually nets them around $15,000.

Naturally, this effects organic farmers even worse, because they actually label their stuff GM free.