USA: Court reinstates Staccato cherry patent, victory for AAFC

26 Mar 2025
1207

U.S. Court reinstates Staccato cherry plant patent

On March 12, 2025, the District Court for the Eastern District of Washington reversed its previous decision invalidating the U.S. plant patent for the Staccato cherry, owned by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). This ruling marks another legal victory for AAFC and follows the Court’s recent decision that the so-called "Glory" cherry is, in fact, the Staccato cherry.

As a result, AAFC is now free to pursue its claims against the unauthorized propagation, distribution, and sale of "Glory" cherry trees or fruit. The long-running legal dispute involves three U.S.-based entities: Gordon Goodwin, a Washington orchardist who claimed to have discovered and patented the "Glory" variety; Van Well Nursery, Inc., a nursery that allegedly improperly transferred a Staccato cherry tree to Goodwin before growing and selling "Glory" trees; and Monson Fruit Company, a grower and seller of the disputed variety.

Judicial error and evidence manipulation

The Court acknowledged that it had committed "clear error in granting summary judgment" regarding the alleged invalidity of the Staccato patent. During the proceedings, the defendants submitted an Excel spreadsheet that was supposed to demonstrate sales of Staccato cherries before AAFC filed its patent application.

However, the data had been manipulated: the defendants excluded 10 rows of information that, along with other evidence, proved the sales were actually of the Sonata variety and not Staccato.

The Court stated: "It is undisputed that the defendants excluded the first 10 rows of the spreadsheet, which indicated that the sales were actually of Sonata, an entirely different cherry variety, and then falsely represented to the Court that the document was an accurate copy of the original spreadsheet. It would be manifestly unjust to overlook this conduct at this stage of the proceedings."

Intellectual property protection and industry response

Summerland Varieties Corp. (SVC), the global master license holder for Staccato cherries, welcomed the ruling. SVC general manager Sean Beirnes stated, "We are very pleased to manage the license for a valid patent that can now be fully enforced."

Beirnes emphasized the importance of respecting intellectual property in the global fruit industry: "The worldwide fruit industry is built on trust. It is critically important that all stakeholders respect the rights associated with protected varieties. SVC will have zero tolerance for those who attempt to bypass the rules."

Source: www.thegrower.org

Image source: SL Fruit Service 


Italian Berry - All rights reserved

What to read next

Excellent prospects from INIA's Chilean cherry breeding program

Breeding

10 Feb 2025

"In the last 13 years we have produced an average of 4700 hybrids per year. We collect 80000 seeds, out of which 60000 come from ‘controlled’ open pollinations. The largest families have 250-300 hybrids" says Dr. José Manuel Donoso of INIA Rayantué.

Towards a more sustainable sweet cherry production: the use of mycorrhizae to increase drought resistance

Tech management

12 Dec 2023

Field, laboratory, biochemical, physiological and statistical methods were used for this research. Root inoculation with MycoApply Micronised Endo/Ecto resulted in a 1.3-11.8% increase in the water-holding capacity of the leaves compared to the control group.

In evidenza

Vignola bets on under-50 farmers to save the future of its cherry heritage and traditions

Specialties

02 Oct 2025

In Vignola, cherries are more than fruit: they represent culture, tradition, and local identity. Yet the lack of generational turnover puts their future at risk. Under-50 farmers launch a project to revive the cherry supply chain, involve young people, and boost tourism.

Unpicked cherries and rising prices: the cost of Trump’s immigration policies

Production

02 Oct 2025

In the US, cherries rot on trees as Trump’s immigration policies push 1.2 million workers out of the labor force, cut farm jobs by 6.5%, and drive food prices up—vegetables +8%, meat +7%. A deepening crisis is hitting both farmers and consumers, exposing fragile food chains.

Tag Popolari