The patent infringement case initiated in the U.S.against AgrEvo by DeKalb Genetics Corporation was suspended. We asked for the case to be suspended because of our own earlier patent claims to the Liberty technology claimed by DeKalb. The U.S.P.T.O. declared an interference regarding the technology, naming us the senior party. This bolsters our claims on ownership of the Liberty technology at issue. Our efforts in functional genomics and bioinformatics were begun this year and are focussed on discovery of new target sites for crop protection products, as well as new biotech traits for crop improvement.
Businesses stand and fall on the strength of customer loyalty.
We are determined to serve our customers even better by providing improved service and novel products. The accomplishments of 1997 are behind us and we must now focus on the work ahead. Nevertheless, to have made the progress we did these past 12 months, in spite of a highly demanding and volatile competitive environment, is a credit to the whole organisation. Coping with change and turning it to your advantage is never easy. But the employees of AgrEvo worldwide have shown that they are more than able to meet this challenge.