January 14, 2010
DuPont, BASF drop herbicide patent suits
Chemical makers DuPont Co and BASF Plant Science had reached an agreement on a patent infringement dispute over technology used in herbicides.
The two companies agreed to cross-license patents and dismiss claims and counterclaims against each other in two pending lawsuits.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Last June, DuPont and BASF Plant Science sued each other in US District Court in Delaware, seeking to enforce intellectual property rights to biotechnology traits, including those that provide tolerance to ALS herbicides.
BASF's suit sought an injunction and damages against DuPont and its Pioneer Hi-Bred International subsidiary for unlawful use of the company's patented technology.
Earlier, DuPont had filed a suit claiming BASF was infringing four patents on biotechnology traits similar to those used in the company's proprietary Optimum GAT trait.