Laws protecting industrial seeds

-Legal system allows for patenting of seeds

-Farmers intimidated by licensing laws and “club” schemes into only purchasing industrial seeds, for fear of persecution for breaking the law

-Farmers required to sign lengthy “technology use contracts” upon purchasing seeds, prohibiting them from saving the seeds among other things. Upon (suspected) infringement, seeds and crops can be confiscated or destroyed, and farmer can be fined. Unclear if farmer can be required to serve jail time.

-Companies such as Monsanto and Dupont have entire departments with huge budgets devoted to investigating potential patent infringements.

-Local seeds may be privatized if “discovered”