One of the things that’s frustrated grassroots conservatives is how little regard those establishment characters who call themselves “conservative” have when it comes to the free market. So called Conservatives say they’re for the market picking winners and losers, and then they pass all sorts of regulations that make it harder on community banks, small farmers, and technology innovators who seek to disrupt the established order and innovate the American economy. The latest example of that is long time establishment Senator Thad Cochran, who’s this week inserted a provision into the omnibus bill that would completely defy existing patent regulations. As Politico explains, Cochran is trying to do a solid for a company that once employed his former Chief of Staff.
Patent extension for Marshall ryegrass: The American Seed Trade Association is urging lawmakers not to include a provision in the omnibus that would extend the patent on a variety of ryegrass beyond the statutory limit. Under the Plant Variety Protection Act, seed companies can get intellectual property protections for new varieties for 20 years, but there are no provisions in the law for extensions of that period. The trade association said in a letter Friday that it is worried lawmakers are trying to include a policy rider in the omnibus that would grant protections to Marshall ryegrass, a crop used in livestock feed, for a second time. Lawmakers allowed a 10-year extension through a rider in spending legislation in 2004 that was championed by Sen. Thad Cochran, who is now chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“We are hearing from folks in our industry that the group that pushed the extension 10 years ago is back at it,” American Seed Trade Association President Andrew LaVigne told MA. Extending the protection again “would show total disregard for the intellectual property laws and legally binding contracts which are the backbone of not just the seed industry but innovation in the U.S.,” LaVigne said in the letter to appropriators.
This is, pure and simple, a betrayal of the free market principles that made this country great for the benefit of the wealthy few. It’s about stifling innovation and showering taxpayer largesse on a company that is afraid to compete and innovate, and it’s the sort of thing we should expect from the likes of Hillary and Obama, and not so called conservatives.
AAN Staff
The staff at American Action News are consummate professionals, who when not producing original, hard-hitting content, are scouring the internet to bring you the unfiltered news that matters to you! Our mission is to maximize your experience on our website. If we can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to let us know!
