Pioneer Hi-Bred
J. E. M. Ag Supply, Inc. v. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., 534 U.S. 124 (2001) in which the Supreme Court ruled that utility patents could be issued for crops and other flowering plants. The court also rejected the argument that the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) and the Plant Patent Act (PPA) are the only ways to protect these plant innovations.