Why China is Stealing America's Corn Seeds

CNN Money ^ | 7-3-14 | Charles Riley

[afraidfortherepublic]

Three years ago, a security guard working for seed company Pioneer Hi-Bred came across something unusual on a road in Iowa: Just off the pavement, a man was on his knees, digging in a field.

Challenged by the guard, Mo Hailong claimed to be an employee of the University of Iowa who was traveling to a nearby conference. He jumped back in his car and sped away.

U.S. authorities would later accuse Hailong, and five other Chinese nationals, of stealing corn seeds and attempting to smuggle them back to China.

A seventh defendant, Mo Yun, was arrested and charged Wednesday with stealing trade secrets for her husband's seed company -- the Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Company.

The details of the case, laid out by prosecutors, underscore the difficulty of safeguarding U.S. intellectual property, and the determination of some foreign rivals to acquire technology by illicit means.

For six years, the Chinese nationals hopscotched across rural Iowa and Illinois, stealing valuable inbred corn seed from Pioneer, Monsanto (MON) and LG Seeds, prosecutors said in an updated indictment. The group rented storage facilities, bought their own testing field and concocted elaborate cover stories.

"These are actually very serious offenses," one of the accused said during a recorded conversation reproduced in the indictment. "They could treat us as spies," his colleague replied.

Three members of the group tried to smuggle the stolen goods out of the U.S. in 2012, concealing hundreds of seeds in Orville Redenbacher popcorn boxes and Subway napkins. One tried to reach Canada; the others boarded aircraft bound for Beijing.

[Jim from C-Town]

Of course if you have ever scene an Arab women without her Burka you would understand the popularity of goats, sheep and other farm animals.

Yasar Arafat would have been considered an attractive woman to most Arabs and was to many considering he died of AIDS.

[Think free or die]

"We are not going to implode. The groaning and straining you hear is America about to take a cataclysmic dump. When that stool is passed, the Taker class, bureaucrats, Muslims, Urban Ferals, Latrinos, ad nauseam - all will get a “Swirly” that will long be remembered."

I'd love to believe that. At any rate I can enjoy the mental image.

[blueplum]

so you promote stealing other’s ideas and hard work because ‘the world’ is somehow entitled to it free of charge?

It takes 7 to 10 years to develop a new hybrid corn. That’s a lot of tractor work, a lot of water and a lot of sweat from farmers.

P.S. “dent” or field corn is pretty much inedible unless heavily processed.

[Usagi_yo]

Tough. You can characterize it all you want in the most negative terms you want. I don’t believe that things that can be done by nature are patent-able