USPTO Acting Chief Upholds Denial of Seed Patent Challenges, Impacting Gene-Editing Innovations

The acting leader of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has declined to review the denial of challenges posed by a Cambridge-based gene-editing startup against patents for corn seeds. These patents, deemed novel by their holders, are attributed to a unit of Corteva, which emerged as a spin-off from DowDuPont. The company’s bid emphasized potential innovations in genetic modification of crops, a contentious subject within the domain of intellectual property rights. For more information, you can read the full article on Law360.