News on Legal issues from Asia

McPatel Foods Pvt Ltd of Ahmedabad has sued McDonald's for issuing 'groundless threats' over its use of the prefix 'Mc'. The local firm, selling fries under ‘Ohh! Potato’, seeks to stop McDonald’s from objecting to its name in court.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ruled that PepsiCo can claim a patent for the potato variety grown for its potato chips.

The potato variety FL-2027 (commercial name FC-5) used for the production of potato chips was registered by PepsiCo India Holdings in India and the registration was granted in February 2016 under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001, but the registration was revoked in 2021.

India has revoked a patent for a potato variety grown exclusively for PepsiCo Inc's popular Lay's potato chips, according to an order issued on Friday by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPVFR) Authority.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a potato production factory in Duhok, set to provide 500 jobs and make use of local potato products.

Farmers dumped their potatoes in front of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s agriculture ministry in Erbil on Thursday, protesting banned imports that have pushed their produce out of the market.

Farmers' rights activists on Tuesday planted FL-2027 seed potatoes on a plot of farmland in Ahmedabad, Gujarat to protest food and beverages major PepsiCo's reassertion of rights over the variety.

As American sanctions are choking Iran’s economy, the country is increasingly looking to spuds as a cost-effective alternative to the traditional imports that have fed many Iranians.

Indian Farmers’ movements have decided to put up a fight to ensure that farmers’ seed freedoms are not violated in any way. Many speakers also also felt that PepsiCo India should pay compensation to the Gujarat potato farmers involved.

The legal battle between a number of potato farmers in Gujarat accused of illegally growing a proprietary variety and food and beverage manufacturer PepsiCo India may be headed for an out-of-court settlement.

Leading farmers unions and rights advocacy groups have demanded that the PepsiCo immediately withdraw all legal suits it has slapped on many potato farmers in different districts of Gujarat.

PepsiCo has sued three potato farmers in Gujarat complaining that they have been illegally growing and selling a variety of potato exclusively registered to Pepsico for the use of producing its Lays potato chips.

In the Indian State of Assam ten onion- and potato retailers have been arrested because they charged a price for their vegetables above the legal limit.

McDonald's French Fry supplier in Beijing - Beijing Simplot Food Processing Co. Ltd - has been fined a record 3.9 million yuan (about 655,000 USD) for discharging waste water that exceeded the maximum allowed COD value.

Snacks maker Frito Lay has been fined almost 18 million Turkish Liras (8.8 million USD) by Turkey’s competition board over single-product loyalty discount allegations.