Support All India Kisan Sabha in their campaign to defend farmers from Patent Infringement Claims by PepsiCo
Background Reading:
http://kisansabha.org/aiks/press-releases/pepsico/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-pepsi-farmers/pepsico-sues-four-indian-farmers-for-using-its-patented-lays-potatoes-idUSKCN1S21EL
Why India Pirates?
This issue speaks directly to one of the basic principles of our constitution, namely "reform of copyright and patent law"
Pirate Praveen Mon 29 Apr 2019 4:16PM
I think we should have clarity on the legal status first and decide response accordingly. If food can be patented legally, then our focus should be to get it repealed. Boycotting Pepsi will not solve the root cause.
pirate king Mon 29 Apr 2019 4:50PM
AFAIK the act says you cannot sell patented seeds, but the question here is setting precedent. This is the first case of its kind and if farmers have to go to court to settle this it will be a set a bad precedent where a multi billion dollar company goes around bullying poor farmers.
pirate king Mon 29 Apr 2019 5:00PM
a farmer shall be deemed to be entitled to save, use, sow, resow,
exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety
protected under this Act in the same manner as he was entitled before the
coming into force of this Act:
Provided that the farmer shall not be entitled to sell branded seed of a variety protected
under this Act.
Explanation.—For the purposes of clause (iv), “branded seed” means any seed put in a
package or any other container and labelled in a manner indicating that such seed is of a
variety protected under this Act
Pirate Praveen Mon 29 Apr 2019 5:50PM
Pirate Praveen Tue 30 Apr 2019 6:56AM
I think this is a good issue to reach out to people outside tech circle. We should prepare notes, update our manifesto and do public campaigns.
Pirate Praveen Tue 30 Apr 2019 7:14AM
pirate king Tue 30 Apr 2019 7:21AM
They are coercing farmers to join their group of growers. I think farmers will be forced to do out of court settlement as the article suggests.
Pirate Vik · Mon 29 Apr 2019 9:43AM
Please state your views on this. I'll start a poll if people are engaged with the proposal.