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Monsanto sues DuPont, alleges patent infringement

Monsanto is suing DuPont and its Pioneer Hi-Bred unit. Monsanto alleges infringement of its patents in seed development technology.

A Dow Jones report says the lawsuit, filed Monday in Missouri’s eastern district, alleges that a Pioneer system used to identify seeds with superior genetics uses technology that infringes on Monsanto patents. The technology, used to automate sampling of material from seeds and still allow them to be planted later, is known as “seed chipping.”

A statement issued by DuPont says the suit is without merit. DuPont accuses Monsanto of using litigation to limit Pioneer from being an effective competitor.

The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of compensation for damages and an order for DuPont and Pioneer to stop selling products developed using the technology.