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Monsanto awarded $780,000 for patent violation (Thursday, Nov. 28, 2002 -- CropChoice news) -- AP, 11/26/02: TUPELO, Miss. - A federal appeals court in Washington has, according to this story, ruled that a Pontotoc County soybean farmer violated a seed patent held by biotechnology giant Monsanto Co. The court's recent 2-1 ruling ordered Homan McFarling to pay Monsanto $780,000 in damages for patent infringement when he saved seeds after harvesting crops grown from Monsanto's patented Roundup Ready soybean seed. The Missouri-based company's patented cotton and soybean seeds have been genetically engineered to resist its Roundup brand herbicide. When Round-Up is sprayed on a field, it will kill the weeds without harming the crop.