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A comment on Argentine government favors farmers in dispute with Monsanto. Parent comment

Re:Argentine government favors farmers in dispute with Monsanto by hodwik on Thursday April 21, 2016 @03:00PM (#11544520)
By that logic we should let Lenovo purchase one copy of Windows which they then install on every machine they export to the US. Then, not only will customs not help Microsoft shut down the pirating of their OS, but Microsoft won't even be allowed to investigate obvious cases of the pirating themselves.

That would clearly be in violation of international law. The same stands here.

The farmers agreed to the license at the start. It's over. They don't get to pick and choose.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Argentine government favors farmers in dispute with Monsanto by mikeash on Thursday April 21, 2016 @03:07PM (#11544575)
Monsanto implicitly agreed to Argentine laws when they started operating in that country. They don't get to pick and choose.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Argentine government favors farmers in dispute with Monsanto by hodwik on Thursday April 21, 2016 @03:14PM (#11544632)
Argentina is signatory to both the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants and the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, which is why Monsanto felt safe importing. Argentina is now going back on these treaties, which is why the Government should be stepping in here.

It's not Monsanto's job alone to defend international law.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Argentine government favors farmers in dispute with Monsanto by lettergram on Thursday April 21, 2016 @04:00PM (#11544956)
> It's not Monsanto's job alone to defend international law

There is not international law. Sure there are treaties, as you said, but Argentina produces a ton of food. If the U.S. does anything to darastic it will starve or at least decemate the economy.

Point being, the U.S. can do very little. Argentina has to be willing to uphold those treaties on its own or it will lose business (which is the incentive to uphold those treaties).

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Argentine government favors farmers in dispute with Monsanto by gozur88 on Thursday April 21, 2016 @11:04PM (#11546808)
This is the second time I've read something like this in as many weeks. It's nonsense.

The US is a net food exporter to the tune of thirty million tons per year. If Argentina decided not to sell food to the US it would have no effect whatsoever.

[ Parent | on HN ]