Bayer Prevails In China Patent Case

Bayer CropScience has successfully enforced its patent on the insecticide spirotetramat in a case against two Chinese companies. In July 2014, Bayer filed a lawsuit in a Chinese court against the two firms, Hebei Sannong Agrochemical and Nanjing Heyuan, claiming they illegally produced and sold crop protection products containing spirotetramat. After a March 2015 hearing, judges mediated a settlement under which the Chinese firms agreed to pay Bayer for their patent infringement. “We recognize the efforts being made in China to establish clear rules and regulations for the recognition of intellectual property rights,” says Joerg Thomaier, head of patents at Bayer CropScience.