California Berry Cultivars wins summary judgment in lawsuit

California Berry Cultivars, LLC (CBC) announced that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California has granted its motion for summary judgment in the lawsuit filed by Driscoll's, Inc., resolving all of Driscoll's claims against CBC in CBC's favor.

Driscoll's initiated the litigation in 2019, alleging that CBC infringed Driscoll's patents on four of its strawberry varieties and supposedly interfered with Driscoll's contracts with nurseries and breeders in connection with CBC's breeding program. From the outset, the District Court's rulings favored CBC, resulting in the dismissal of Driscoll's interference claims. Now, with only Driscoll's patent claims surviving, the District Court has granted CBC's motion for summary judgment, eliminating all of Driscoll's claims against CBC. It has long been CBC's position that berry behemoth Driscoll's brought this action to stifle competition by burying CBC in litigation. CBC's hard-fought and all-encompassing victory on Driscoll's claims underscores CBC's commitment to advancing strawberry breeding and only serves to further substantiate CBC's longstanding position that it has acted lawfully and ethically in those breeding efforts.

"This ruling is a strong affirmation of the integrity of our breeding program and our commitment to independent innovation in the strawberry industry," said AG Kawamura, president of CBC and former California Secretary of Agriculture. "We are proud to continue offering high-performing, flavorful strawberry varieties to growers and consumers alike."

This victory comes as CBC's varieties continue gaining rapid adoption. Recent varieties include Castaic, a short-day variety delivering over 8,000 trays per acre in trials, and Alhambra, a summer-plant variety combining commercial yield with exceptional flavor. These join CBC's lineup: Adelanto, an early short-day variety with exceptional yields by March 1; Belvedere, known for its high brix, aromatic flavor, and strong disease resistance; and Alturas, a fusarium-resistant, high-yielding day-neutral variety with delicious flavor.

For more information:
Kyle VandenLangenberg
California Berry Cultivars, LLC
info@cbcberry.com
https://www.caberrycultivars.com/