Question

Which organisations sought a patent from the European Patent Office (EPO) for the fungicidal properties of neem oil in the early 90s?

Options

• US researchers of Indian origin and the EPO

• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Rice Tec Inc.

• The USDA and an American MNC (W.R. Grace)

• The USPTO and the Indian Parliament

Answer 1

In the early 90s, the USDA and W.R. Grace pirated knowledge of neem and sought an EPO patent. The patent concerned the fungicidal properties of neem oil.