Published on Nov 12, 2001

Two American lawyers have been chosen to represent Thailand in a lawsuit over the right to patent an American version of Thai jasmine rice, Deputy Commerce Minister Suvarn Valaisathien said yesterday.

Suvarn said the government would sign a contract with the lawyers this week as part of an effort to initiate a lawsuit in the United States Administrative Court. He said the legal action was aimed at preventing rice-breeder Chris Deren from patenting a new rice variety being developed from genetic material from Thailand's Khao Dok Mali 105.

"We think it is better to bar him from patenting the new rice variety than seek compensation," Suvarn said, adding that he expected Deren's experiment to go on while the legal battle proceeded.

Deren, a professor at the University of Florida Everglades Research and Education Centre in Belle Glade, is conducting research to creating a new jasmine-rice variety which would suit the US climate.

Deren maintains that he will not seek to patent it.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the Intellectual Property Department was taking charge of the legal aspects and he would raise the issue with US President George W Bush during his visit to Washington in the middle of next month.

"We will tell them of our concern on this issue. We are hiring American lawyers to try to stop the patenting. We believe they can do that," Thaksin said.

Thailand, the world's top |rice-exporter, produces about three million tonnes of jasmine rice - famed for its superior flavour and whiteness -annually and about 24 million tonnes of rice in total.

Thaksin said after a special Cabinet meeting in Buri Ram: "I have talked to the US government about this, so we have a government-to-government understanding.

Sukhothaithammatirat Open University law lecturer Dr Chakkrit Kruanpoj applauded the government's legal move. He said it was a good idea to use American lawyers because they would have greater knowledge of how US law worked.

US officials have reportedly said American rice breeders have not broken any Thai law in obtaining seeds for the project - a bone of contention among Thai officials and activists.

Thai officials have accused Deren of stealing seeds from the Kingdom and fear he will attempt to patent the powerful jasmine-rice name.

On 11 Dec 2003

  
  Print version