Syngenta walked away with nearly $1 million in damages last week from a U.S. District Court after a significant ruling on a patent infringement suit brought against pesticide maker Willowood.
A jury granted a major victory to Syngenta Crop Protection LLC and its customers Thursday after finding that Willowood infringed a patent relating to the manufacture of the fungicide azoxystrobin (U.S. Patent 8,124,761). The jury found that patent to be valid, and awarded Syngenta damages for Willowood’s infringement. The patent remains in effect until 2029 and has counterparts around the world.
“This outcome enforces intellectual property rights that provide the incentive for innovators like Syngenta to continue investing and developing solutions growers need to remain productive and competitive,” said Vern Hawkins, president of Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC.
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina previously issued an order finding that two Willowood entities infringed two valid U.S. patents owned by Syngenta relating to the fungicide azoxystrobin (U.S. Patent No. 5,602,076 and U.S. Patent No. 5,633,256) and the jury awarded damages for that infringement.
