Monsanto Looks to Patent Pigs, Breeding Methods

In a move that has environmentalists and consumer advocates worried, one of the world's most controversial corporations is looking to claim swine farming procedures as intellectual property. ...

Then, who has been studying patents for a decade, said that there is really nothing new to the breeding processes of which Monsanto is seeking to claim exclusive ownership; rather, the patents attempt to privatize farming techniques already in existence for centuries.

"There's no invention in this," he said. "It's just normal pig breeding."

The dangers, Then said, are quite concerning. As food production centralizes, consumers could become dependent upon fewer and fewer companies -- raising the risk of dangerous monopolies. In this case, Monsanto -- already a giant in other arenas -- is making a bold move into pork products. ...

Seeking to patent life forms is a relatively recent development.  ... "But discoveries are different from inventions [and] genes have been in pigs forever," said Margulis.