The court ruled in November 2018 that Dutch company Ancientgrain’s patent covering the rights to process teff was invalid. The case arose when Ancientgrain asserted its patent for processing teff against Dutch bakery Bakels in 2014. Bakels advertised a teff flour mix on its website, prompting Ancientgrain to file a patent infringement case. The court’s judgment supported this conclusion, finding that the claimed methods for baking teff, including mixing the flour with moisture and a leavening agent, and mixing the teff flour with another crop, were “very common” baking methods and did not constitute inventive steps. According to the Ethiopian News Agency , the court’s decision was “critical” as the Ethiopian government prepared to press for “full ownership” of teff.

Source: Ethiopian News February 11, 2019 18:11 UTC