THAI PM TO ACT TO STOP U.S. RICE PATENTING
November 11, 2001
Reuters [via Agnet]

BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was cited as telling
reporters on Sunday his government was commissioning American lawyers to
take legal action against any efforts by U.S. companies to patent an
American version of Thai jasmine rice and that Thailand's efforts to prevent
the rice patenting would be an issue in his talks with U.S.  President
George W. Bush during his visit to Washington in late November, adding, "We
will tell them of our concern on this issue. We are commissioning American
lawyers to try to stop the patenting. We believe our lawyers can do that."
Thailand, the world's top rice exporter, produces about three million tonnes
of jasmine rice-famed for its superior flavour and dazzling white colour-a
year and about 24 million tonnes of rice in total.