BASF protects fungicide intellectual property rights and innovation investments

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, February 2, 2018 – BASF filed a lawsuit against Willowood LLC to halt the ongoing infringement of certain BASF patents relating to the manufacture and use of its fungicide pyraclostrobin.

BASF has led the way in the research and development (R&D) of active ingredients like pyraclostrobin that control fungal diseases and offer plant health benefits. BASF is committed to investing in the research and development of new and innovative products and protecting the Intellectual Property, which results from this development. Each new active ingredient represents an investment of more than $250 million in the agricultural industry and ensures growers have cutting edge tools to manage their crops and ultimately support the food demands of a growing global population.

“Farmers rely on innovation from partners like BASF to help improve the yield and quality of their crop,” said Senior Vice President, BASF North America, Paul Rea. “BASF remains at the forefront of crop protection product development and innovation, bringing new solutions to growers.”

BASF has a broad portfolio of patents surrounding pyraclostrobin-containing products, mixtures and intermediates in the United States and globally. Pyraclostrobin is the key ingredient in BASF plant health fungicides, and is approved by the US Enivronmental Protection Agency for controlling a broad range of diseases and improving plant health, which can result in improvements in crop growth and quality. These products include Headline^® SC, Headline^®, Headline AMP^®, Priaxor^®, Pristine^®, Merivon^®, Twinline^®, Nexicor^®, Cabrio^®, Insignia^®, and Xanthion^® fungicides, Stamina^® F3 and Stamina^® F4 Cereals fungicide seed treatments.

“Growers using BASF fungicides can be confident that the products are manufactured to the highest quality standards and will continue to perform reliably,” added Rea. “We expect continued growth for our pyraclostrobin-based products and mixtures, as they have proven to be highly effective and reliable fungicides due to proprietary, high-quality R&D and formulation expertise.”

To continue the significant investments in the research and development of new compounds, BASF will protect the investments already made through its legally enforceable intellectual property rights.

About BASF’s Crop Protection division
With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. BASF’s Crop Protection division works with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others to help make this possible. With their cooperation, BASF is able to sustain an active R&D pipeline, an innovative portfolio of products and services, and teams of experts in the lab and in the field to support customers in making their businesses succeed. In 2016, BASF’s Crop Protection division generated sales of €5.6 billion. For more information, please visit us at www.agriculture.basf.com or on any of our social media channels.

About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 17,500 employees in North America, and had sales of $16.2 billion in 2016. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58& billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.