DuPont counter-sues Monsanto

Chemicals maker DuPont launched a counter-lawsuit against rival seedmaker Monsanto on Tuesday to force the company to allow it to sell its own products with Monsantos genetically modified soybeans.

The lawsuit is the latest fight in the battle for the rights to new biotechnology that could be worth billions of dollars in sales to farmers worldwide who are seeking boost crop yields and profits.

DuPonts suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis, comes a month after Monsanto sued DuPonts Pioneer Hi-Bred International business, contending it had breached its license to market Roundup Ready soybean and corn seeds that are modified to be more tolerant of herbicides.

In a statement, DuPont said it is allowed to combine, or "stack," the genetic traits of its Optimum GAT technology with Roundup Ready under its rights in a licensing agreement with Monsanto, and that Monsantos patents around its soybean traits were invalid.

"Monsantos lawsuit is another tactic used to restrict the availability of competitive products," DuPont Vice President James Borel said in a statement.

Monsanto, the worlds biggest seedmaker, has said Pioneer has misused the Roundup Ready traits to mask problems with its own Optimum GAT technology.

"Rather than tell the truth about its failed product, DuPont improperly used Monsantos proven technology to cover up the flaws of Optimum GAT. This is the real issue in the case," Scott Partridge, Monsantos deputy general counsel, said in a statement in response to DuPonts claim.

Earlier this month, DuPont and Germanys BASF sued each other of claims of patent infringement for the technologies used in the DuPonts Optimum GAT.