Generic manufacturers of agrochemicals have once again been found to infringe patent protection laws at the exhibition part of the British Crop Production Council’s congress in Glasgow.

Despite careful scrutiny by lawyers and representatives from major chemical companies before the exhibition opened, a number of generic manufacturers have been found to be displaying materials that infringed patents on a number of pesticides, according to Colin Ruscoe, chairman of the British Crop Production Enterprises, part of BCPC that runs the exhibition.

It had led to one manufacturer, BSM Chemical Import & Export from China, being removed from the exhibition, after repeated warnings to cover up or remove offending materials, he said.

“This particular company didn’t do that very quickly and also produced some literature that hadn’t been in the [pre-event] inspection. I had to ask them not to come back to the exhibition.”

A number of other firms had also been asked to cover up or remove offending material, he said.

“We’re doing our best not to be unfair [to the generic manufacturers], particularly with the language barrier. The inspection was there to try to help them, but it is their responsibility for them to check their material [doesn’t infringe].”