Monsanto filed patent application No.2407/DEL/NP/2006 on 01/05/2006. The patent office examined the claimed subject matter and raised objections on various grounds specified under Section 3 of the patents act. Monsanto responded to objections and presented its case during personal hearings but patent office rejected the patent. Monsanto then filed appeal before IPAB, which again did not went in its favor.
Subject Matter of Patent Application: This invention relates to method of increasing the biotic and abiotic stress tolerance of plants, which is useful for farmers as it limit their losses. The method disclosed in the patent achieves the objective by expressing a cold shock protein(s) within the cells of said plant, or in simple terms, by modifying the cellular structure of plants.
The invention is applicable to diverse range of seeds, including soybean, com, canola, rice, cotton, barley, oats, turf grasses, cotton, and wheat.
