WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — DuPont Co. and Bayer CropScience said Thursday they have agreed to share licenses and resolve patent disputes.
The agreements call for Bayer CropScience to grant licenses to use the LibertyLink trademark in proprietary corn and soybean germplasm, the hereditary material of germ cells.
In addition, Bayer CropScience will allow DuPont's Pioneer Hi-Bred business to use a glufosinate, or herbicide-tolerant, technology in soybean product development.
Bayer CropScience also will provide Pioneer with licenses in insect resistance, with limited rights to grant sublicenses to develop next-generation insect resistance management in corn.
The agreement resolves legal and patent disputes in insect control and herbicide safeners, the companies said. Bayer CropScience gives DuPont Crop Protection rights to continue to offer DuPont Q product formulations containing the Bayer herbicide safener isoxadifen.
DuPont also receives rights to offer blends of isoxadifen with certain defined herbicides and licenses for it to offer crop protection products in the future.
"These agreements are good news for farmers who will benefit from the cross-licensing of innovative technologies from both companies," said James C. Borel, DuPont group vice president.
Dr. H.C. Berschauer, chairman of the board at Bayer CropScience, said the agreements provide an "excellent basis to further extend the reach and value capture through royalties for our proprietary biotech solutions."
Shares of DuPont rose 37 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $25.20 in afternoon trading.