-The Hindu It had sued them for Rs. 20 lakh PepsiCo has applied to withdraw its cases against two brothers who are major potato farmers and traders in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat. This is the first concrete move taken by the company to back down from its cases against at least nine potato farmers who grew its protected variety used to make Lays chips. PepsiCo’s lawyer filed the application in a Deesa court...

-The Indian Express Amid the ongoing controversy that erupted with PepsiCo India’s lawsuits against 11 farmers for growing its patented potato variety, The Indian Express meets the affected farmers to find the genesis of the problem . Among the 11 farmers of Gujarat who have been slapped lawsuits by PepsiCo India for “illegally” growing its patented potato variety FL 2027, are Fulchand Kachchhawa and his brother Suresh of Malgadh village in...

-The Hindu Decision after assurances from govt. on long-term solution In a victory for Gujarat potato farmers dragged to court by PepsiCo for alleged rights infringement, the food and beverages giant says it has agreed to withdraw the cases. “After discussions with the Government, the Company has agreed to withdraw cases against farmers. We are relying on the said discussions to find a long term and an amicable resolution of all issues around...

-The Indian Express Who is the rightful owner of the potato variety, FL 2027? Is it the farmer who bought, planted, harvested the potatoes from his own farm, or is it the innovator who cross-bred and modified the potato to have a low moisture content for crispier chips? There could not have been a better heading for the IE editorial (April 30) on PepsiCo’s infringement suit against the farmers who have...

-DNAIndia.com The infringement suit filed by PepsiCo against Gujarat’s potato farmers is based on legally flawed premises The infringement suit filed by PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt Ltd (PIH), Indian subsidiary of the US multinational corporation, against potato farmers in Gujarat is premised on an untenable interpretation of law on plant breeders in the country.  Yet, on the basis of a claim of an infringement of its potato variety by the accused farmers,...