date:Sep 08, 2021
A former kiwifruit grower who smuggled cuttings of Zespris prized gold variety to China has been ordered to pay the kiwifruit exporter more than $12 million, after his appeal proved unsuccessful. Last year, Haoyu Gao was ordered by the High Court to pay Zespri almost $15 mln for taking the cuttings to China after signing a supposed licensing agreement with a grower there.
Zespri claimed Gaos agreement to supply the cuttings was an infringement of its rights under the Plant Varieties Rights Act.