New Delhi: Charges of ‘copyright infringement’ against nine peasants of Gujarat filed by PepsiCo was withdrawn on Friday. The farmers grew PepsiCo protected potato variety (FC5) used to make Lays chips, including cases seeking damages of ₹1.05 crore each from small farmers.
PepsiCo withdrew its legal charges against four farmers in an Ahmedabad commercial court, as well as cases against five farmers in the Modasa district court on Friday. Two other cases against large farmers and traders were withdrawn in a Deesa court earlier this week.
The farmers hailed the decision and tagged it as a victory of farmers. The farmers also appealed that the State and Centre take a clear stand that plant variety registrations are subject to farmers’ rights to grow and sell such registered varieties, as long as they do not sell branded seed.
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As per the spokesperson of PepsiCo, the decision was made after discussion with the government, and that the company wanted a long-term amicable resolution of seed protection issues.
Anand Yagnik, representative lawyer of the farmers said, “PepsiCo must apologise to the farmers for filing false lawsuits against them. It was an act of intimidation, but the farmers did not surrender to the company.”
The Beej Adhikaar Manch, a newly formed association that seeks to protect farmers’ seed sovereignty said, “The Government of India had maintained an ominous silence on the legal situation in the country on farmers’ seed freedoms, taking cover of the matter being sub judice. Now it must make it amply clear that such litigation is not acceptable.”
It also said that a public campaign would continue to urge the government to stand with farmers and instruct all registrants in the Plant Varieties Registry of India that their registration is conditional to the rights guaranteed to farmers in the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority Act, 2001.