Dear Supporters,
thank you very much for your interest in becoming involved in actions being taken against the patent on tomatoes held by Syngenta. This document is supposed to enable your active participation, so that together we can oppose patent EP 1515600.
Background: In 2015, the European Patent Office granted the aforementioned patent EP 1515600 to Syngenta, which claims tomatoes with a high content of so-called flavonols. These compounds are supposedly beneficial to health. The patent covers the plants, the plant varieties with the respective plant characteristics, the seeds and the fruits. This so-called “invention”, however, is simply a product of crossing tomatoes from the countries of origin (Latin America) with varieties currently grown in the industrialised countries. European Patent Law prohibits patents on plant varieties and on conventional breeding (Art 53 b, European Patent Convention).
We are filing a joint opposition in which we would like you to become part of if
- you are at least 18 years old and
- you fill in and sign the attached document (please note, this information will become publicly accessible within the course of the opposition) and return it to us by 2 May 2016.
Note: The personal information you fill in has to be correct!
We will then collect all the documents and file a joint opposition through a representative patent lawyer. This opposition is intended not only to start the legal process to obtain the revocation of the above patent, but also to send a strong political signal that no patents on life, especially on plants and animals, should ever be granted.
There will be no costs to you arising from this opposition procedure or any ensuing appeal procedure. For further information, including the text of the patent and the text of opposition please visit:
http://no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/information/patent-cases/tomatoes-hig…
http://no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/information/background/outline-opposi…
If you have any further questions, please send an email mentioning “joint opposition” to: johanna.eckhardt@no-patents-on-seeds.org.
