Syngenta Gets Antitrust Claim Tossed in Pesticide Patent Fight

North Carolina-based Syngenta Crop Protection LLC beat allegations it tried to stifle competition by filing a “sham” patent infringement suit against Atticus LLC, a rival maker of pesticides.

Syngenta’s suit alleges certain Atticus fungicide products infringe its patented technology. Atticus failed to show the suit is objectively baseless and a sham, Judge James Dever in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina said in a Monday order.

“A reasonable litigant would have an objective basis to expect success on the merits,” Dever wrote, dismissing Atticus’ antitrust counterclaim against Syngenta.

Dever also dismissed a defamation claim ...