News on Legal issues

The National Potato Council, representing the United States Potato Industry responds to the Mexican Court decision to block the import of US potatoes: 'Mexican Court Ruling Ignores Science'

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed two new measures involving the potato industry last Wednesday. One law makes use of certified seed potatoes mandatory, the other enforces a faster response to the presence of late blight

The Antwerp Court of Appeal has sentenced a farmer in the Belgian province of Antwerp to pay a large fine and damage compensation to Breeders Trust for not reporting his acreage farm saved seed for the varieties Asterix and Fontane which are protected under Plant Breeders’ Rights.

Bags of Wise potato chips contain vastly more empty space than they do actual product, according to a recently filed class action lawsuit in the United States.

South Africa’s competition watchdog (Competition Commission South Africa) has charged the Dutch seed potato breeder HZPC Holland B.V. and its exclusive South African distributor Wesgrow Potatoes for anti-competitve conduct for the exclusive supply of the variety Mondial.

Plant breeders must have free access to biological material in order to be able to breed new crop species. Patent law thus does not apply to conventional plant breeding. This was unanimously confirmed by the European Member States at the Competitiveness Council in Brussels.

Agribusiness giant J. R. Simplot is seeking receivership over two of its vegetable suppliers, claiming mismanagement of the $400-million-grossing companies threatens 2,000 jobs and could end in bankruptcy without court intervention.

Earlier today, the Halifax Regional Police announced they received a report of a needle being found in potatoes at a home in Halifax, NS Canada.

French Fry manufacturer J.R. Simplot has filed a lawsuit against its competitor McCain Foods USA for copying its Twisted Potato Product Sidewinder - a product they protected with a design patent.

Martin's Potato Chips Inc. has launched a federal trademark infringement lawsuit to fend off what it claims is a competitor's illegal incursion on its kettle logo.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a former Utz Quality Foods, Inc. executive has pleaded guilty to charges that he defrauded Utz out of approximately $1.4 million.

Un juez federal de México prohibió el ingreso al país de papa fresca de Estados Unidos ante la posibilidad de que los plaguicidas utilizados en su cultivo generen daños al medio ambiente, a la biodiversidad o a la población.

A former executive with a Pennsylvania potato chip and snack food company and a vendor have been charged and agreed to plead guilty to defrauding the company out of roughly $1.4 million.

After 5 months, the strike at Covered Bridge Potato Chips in Hartland has come to an end after unionized workers voted in favour of a deal..

National vegetable industry body AUSVEG is concerned that Australian potato growers will be left out of pocket following Australia’s largest potato supplier entering receivership in early May.

McCain Foods (GB) in Whittlesey, near Peterborough, has been fined £800,000 (1.15 million USD) for safety failings after an employee nearly lost his arm.

Two potato farmers from Prince Edward Island (Canada) that were convicted of planting potatoes on a slope that was too steep were granted a partial victory from the P.E.I. Court of Appeal.

The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) partially upheld Simba’s complaint against Krunch potato chips