Canadian inventor sues Idaho, Washington, Oregon universities over yellow mustard seed patent

Three Pacific Northwest universities face a federal lawsuit that accuses them of using a Canadian inventor’s patented process without permission to build a better yellow mustard seed.

Soheil Sharafabadi, who filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Seattle, says the University of Idaho used his patent to produce new varieties of mustard seed with higher yields.

Washington State University and Oregon State University collaborated with the Idaho university, providing research stations and scientists, according to court documents.

By: JESSIE L. BONNER

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