Posted April 30, 2014
The dispute between the University of California-Davis and the California Strawberry Commission continues over the rights to berry research and varieties, according to an article by The Grower available here. The Sacramento Bee and Fresh Plaza also reported on the story hereand here.
The University has asked the Alameda County Superior Court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Commission in October. The Commission argues that the school breached its contract for strawberry germplasm specifically developed and paid for by the Commission. For more background on the case, a recent post from this blog is available here.
“The strawberry breeding program at UC Davis is the pre-eminent public breed program in the world today and the only public breeding program in the state. We are committed to maintaining that status for years to come,” said Chancellor Linda Katehi.
“For the past five years, commission members and staff have met with the university administration to discuss ongoing concerns regarding the management, oversight and long-term viability of the public strawberry breeding program,” said the Commission. “During this time there was no meaningful movement” and the “commission filed this lawsuit as a last resort to protect the public strawberry breeding program.”
The Commission “wants the court to stop UC-Davis from allowing two scientists to control and profit from research and cultivars commission members paid for already,” arguing that it has paid $60 million to the university since the 1950s to directly finance the strawberry breeding program.”
For more information on intellectual property issues, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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