Syngenta Gets Partial Win on Pesticide Patents, Copyrights

Pesticide maker Syngenta received a mixed ruling from the Federal Circuit as to claims that a generic pesticide maker infringed its patents and copyrights.

Willowood’s U.S. divisions infringed Syngenta’s patents by importing generic versions of Syngenta’s pesticides, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held Dec. 18. The court remanded the case for a new determination as to whether Willowood USA infringed Syngenta’s copyrights by copying the pesticides’ labels.

Syngenta sued Willowood in North Carolina federal court for infringing four patents related to its Quadris and Quilt Xcel fungicides and copyrights in its labels.

After a jury trial, ...