Funny things patents. They confer powerful rights onto patent holders, enabling biotech corporations to impose all sorts of restrictions and charges onto farmers who buy their patented products, and to drag them through the courts if they don't abide by them. Yet they don't seem to confer any responsibilities onto the patent holders, leaving them free of all liability for any of the consequences of the sale of their patented products.

Perhaps it's no surprise then that according to New Scientist, "A patent application, filed by disgraced stem cell scientist Woo Suk Hwang and colleagues and based on work now admitted to be fabricated, may nevertheless be granted." http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8601&feedId=online-news_rss20

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Support Farmer Protection Act
Times Argus (Vermont, USA), January 25, 2006 http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060125/NEWS/601250312/1022

The Farmer Protection Act was created to protect farmers from lawsuits by multi-national corporations such as Monsanto, DuPont and Dow. It was not created to take away "tools" from farmers or to drive farmers apart.

Monsanto, DuPont and Dow are attempting to take over the global seed supply. Meanwhile, farmers are being forced to assume all liability for untested products such as genetically modified seeds. The farmers have to take on this liability even though they are never allowed to actually own the seed. They are paying a user fee for the technology, the corporation retains ownership. Monsanto, DuPont and Dow should be willing to stand behind their products, and our legislators should stand with all Vermont family farms.

The Senate has overwhelmingly supported the bill (26-1), but some in the House want to weaken it. I encourage the conference committee between the Vermont Senate and the Vermont House to support keeping strict liability in the Farmer Protection Act.

Maureen Lehouillier
Irasburg

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