A jury recently handed down a verdict in favor of Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences in a patent infringement lawsuit filed in 2002 by Syngenta. Syngenta claimed in its lawsuit that Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences infringed three of its patents relating to insect-resistant corn products. Early in the trial, the U.S. district court ruled that two of Syngenta's Bt corn patents in the lawsuit were not infringed by any product. The jury considered just the third patent, which it ruled invalid.

Syngenta intends to appeal the decision. Syngenta had previously announced a settlement of its claims against Pioneer in this same lawsuit.