Supreme Court's Ruling Favors Monsanto In Patent Infringement Case Against Farmer

The U.S. Supreme Court voted unanimously that Indiana farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman infringed on Monsanto's patent when he planted soybeans genetically modified by the company that he did not buy from the agribusiness vendor. Written by Justice Elena Kagan, the ruling states that "patent exhaustion does not permit a farmer to reproduce patented seeds through planting and harvesting" without permission from the holder of the patent. Contrary to what Bowman had thought, Monsanto cared about his unauthorized reproduction of the company's genetically modified seeds. The court ruled against Bowman, and the Supreme Court confirmed the lower court's ruling.