Bayer sued for allegedly monopolizing US market for GMO corn seeds
今回の新たな訴訟では、バイエル社が、同社が特許権を保有するNK603と呼ばれるトウモロコシ種子のジェネリック版の開発を競合他社に阻止しようとしたと主張されている。
訴状によると、米国で販売されている遺伝子組み換えハイブリッドトウモロコシ種子のほぼ全てが、Bayerの除草剤ラウンドアップ耐性を持つNK603の特性を備えている。米国政府の推計では、トウモロコシ栽培面積の約92%が除草剤耐性種子で生産されている。
訴状によると、バイエル社のNK603に関する最後の特許が2022年に失効して以来、NK603の需要は依然として高いものの、有力な競合製品は出現していない。
「これは、バイエル社が独占を維持するために行った反競争的行為の直接的な結果である」と訴状は述べている。
訴訟によると、バイエルはNK603の特許が失効した後も、独立系種子会社が自社の遺伝子種子を用いて競合するジェネリックトウモロコシ製品を開発することを禁じていた。
また、大手製薬会社でもあるバイエルは、Latham 社のような企業に対し、自社の遺伝子種子から栽培された種子に対するロイヤリティを徴収し続け、ライセンス料も引き上げたと訴訟は述べている。
Latham 社は、バイエルまたはモンサントからNK603を自社生産・販売するトウモロコシ種子に組み込む権利のライセンスを取得していた。その後、Latham 社はバイエルの製品と競合する独自のトウモロコシ種子の開発に着手したが、バイエルの担当者から「バイエルに100％忠実であれ」と警告を受けたと訴訟は述べている。
Latham 社が開発を止めなかったため、バイエルブランドの営業担当者は非公開情報を用いてLatham 社の顧客を奪い、Latham 社を倒産の危機に追い込んだと訴訟は述べている。 「残念ながら、多国籍企業がますます強力になり、率直に言って略奪的になっているため、多くの独立系企業が廃業に追い込まれています」と、Latham Quality社のジョン・レイサム社長は、10月に開催された米上院司法委員会の種子・肥料業界における競争に関する公聴会で述べた。バイエルは第1四半期、種子を含むクロップサイエンス部門の収益が17.9%増の30億ユーロ（34億9000万ドル）に達したと発表した。 （1ドル＝0.8601ユーロ
Bayer, opens new tab used illegal and anti-competitive practices to
monopolize the U.S. market for genetically engineered corn seeds, reaping
"hundreds of millions, if not billions, of ill-gotten dollars," according to a
federal lawsuit that adds to legal troubles plaguing the Germany-based company.
The lawsuit filed by Latham Quality, a family-owned seed company based in Iowa,
targets the highly concentrated U.S. seed industry as President Donald Trump has
said his administration will address risks from anti-competitive behavior in
food supply chains.
The Department of Justice said last week, that Bayer removed potentially
anti-competitive provisions from a loyalty program for independent seed
companies that license its technology to produce seeds.
U.S. crop farmers have struggled with high costs of seeds, fuel and fertilizer,
and are facing a fourth straight year of shrinking margins.
Latham alleged Bayer raised costs for farmers and independent seed companies by
controlling the market for corn seeds engineered to resist
its widely used weedkiller Roundup, according to its lawsuit filed in
the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
The civil lawsuit, which was filed last month and made public on Tuesday,
proposed a class action and sought treble damages that Latham and similar
companies allegedly sustained, according to court documents.
"Bayer has the power to control market prices and exclude competition," the
lawsuit said. "In fact, it does so."
Bayer, which acquired U.S. seed producer Monsanto in 2018, said on Wednesday it
believes the allegations lack merit and that it will respond to them in court.
The company said it competes fairly in all facets of its agricultural business
and was in compliance with applicable laws.
"The crop input and corn seed markets are competitive, fair and diverse," Bayer
said.
Bayer is already facing thousands of other lawsuits alleging that Roundup causes
cancer.
The new lawsuit said Bayer sought to prevent competitors from developing
generic versions of corn seeds known as NK603,
which Bayer controls. Nearly all genetically engineered hybrid corn seeds sold
in the U.S. carry the NK603 trait that resists Roundup, according to the
complaint.
The U.S. government estimates that about 92% of corn acres are produced with
herbicide-tolerant seeds.
Demand for NK603 has remained significant since Bayer's
last patent on it expired in 2022, yet no viable competition has emerged,
the lawsuit said.
"This is the direct result of Bayer's anti-competitive conduct to maintain its
monopoly," the complaint said.
Bayer prohibited independent seed companies from using its genetic seed material
to develop a competing generic corn product even after
the patent on NK603 expired, according to the lawsuit.
Bayer, which also has a large pharmaceutical business, continued to charge
royalties on seed grown from its genetic material to companies like Latham and
raised licensing fees, the lawsuit said.
Latham licensed from Bayer or Monsanto the right to
include NK603 in corn seeds that Latham produced and distributed to
farmers. Latham then started working on its own corn seeds that would have
competed with Bayer's products, prompting a warning from a Bayer representative
to "stay 100% loyal to Bayer," according to the lawsuit.
When Latham did not stop its efforts, sales representatives for Bayer brands
retaliated by using non-public information to steal the company's business,
leaving Latham on the verge of bankruptcy, the lawsuit said.
"Unfortunately, many independent companies are going out of business as these
multinational companies have become more powerful and frankly predatory," John
Latham, president of Latham Quality, told a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
hearing on competition in the seed and fertilizer sectors in October.
In the first quarter, Bayer reported earnings in its Crop Science unit, which
includes seeds, jumped 17.9% to 3 billion euros ($3.49 billion).
($1 = 0.8601 euros)