VALENT AND its parent company Sumitomo Chemical Company recently filed lawsuits against Syngenta for patent infringement.

The lawsuits stem from Sumitomo Chemical's patent on an insecticide compound called clothianidin. Two of the lawsuits allege that Syngenta is violating the basic patent on clothianidin. A third lawsuit claims that Syngenta is trying to prevent Valent and Sumitomo Chemical from selling their clothianidin insecticide by threatening to enforce a separate use clothianidin patent issued to Syngenta.

Bayer also is involved in the dispute because of its contractual relationship with Syngenta. However, Bayer is not named in the lawsuits.