16 November 2021 / The European Patent Office (EPO) today deleted patent claims on fish (EP1965658) that claims salmon and trout as technical inventions. The fish are fed with selected plants to influence the composition of the fatty acids in their muscles. The EPO sided with the opponents and ruled that fish being fed this way was neither new nor inventive. However, this does not exclude the possibility of similar patents being granted again in the future.
In June 2019, an alliance of more than 30 organisations, supported by around 5.000 individuals, filed an opposition to the patent. They are now demanding major changes in patent law.
“Our opposition led to an important success today. However, this does not solve the basic problem: the EPO is taking a position against the public interest by granting patents on barley and beer, bushy melons, salad and fish. The European governments need to take action and stop this practice,” says Johanna Eckhardt speaking for No Patents on Seeds!.
The opposition was filed by: AGU - Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Umweltbeauftragten in der EKD, Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft (AbL), Arche Noah - Gesellschaft für die Erhaltung der Kulturpflanzenvielfalt und ihre Entwicklung, Bauernbund, Bundesverband Deutscher Milchviehhalter e.V., biorespect, Brot für die Welt, BUND Naturschutz in Bayern e.V., EDL- Evang. Dienst auf dem Lande, FIAN Deutschland, Gen-ethisches Netzwerk, Genussgemeinschaft Städter und Bauern e.V., Gesellschaft für ökologische Forschung, GLOBAL 2000, IG Nachbau – Gegen Nachbau-Gebühren, Katholische Landvolk Bewegung Freiburg, Kein Patent auf Leben!, Landbauschule Dottenfelderhof e.V. - Forschung & Züchtung, Menschen für Tierrechte -Bundesverband der Tierversuchsgegner e.V., Oxfam, Plataforma Transgénicos Fora, Public Eye, ProRegenwald, ProSpecieRara, Sambucus, Sativa, Save Our Seeds, Slow Food Deutschland, SWISSAID, Umweltinstitut München, Verband Katholisches Landvolk, WeMove Europe, Zivilcourage Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen und Miesbach und die Zukunftsstiftung Landwirtschaft.
Contact
- Christoph Then, spokesperson, No Patents on Seeds!, info@no-patents-on-seeds.org, +49 151 54638040
- Johanna Eckhardt, project coordination, No Patents on Seeds!, johanna.eckhardt@no-patents-on-seeds.org, + 43 680 2126 343
Further information
Backgrounder Patent applications in animal breeding
https://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/publications/patents-on-livestock
Overview of the salmon patent
https://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/patent-cases/salmon
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