Patent on bush-type watermelon plants is upheld
No Patents on Seeds! urges the EU to take action
[versión en castellano en la página de BioEcoActual]
[versió en català en la pàgina de BioEcoActual]
11 July 2025 / Today, the Technical Board of Appeal at the European Patent Office (EPO) rejected an opposition against a patent (EP2814316) held by BASF (Nunhems). The company claims bush-type watermelon plants and their fruits as technical inventions. One advantage of cultivating such plants is that they need less space. However, the bushy growth of the plants was a random natural occurrence and, according to the patent description, was simply discovered.