DuPont, Monsanto agree to settle federal patent lawsuits

Two of the biggest U.S. agribusiness companies say they have agreed to settle their patent-infringement lawsuits against each other that had been pending in a St. Louis federal court.

Terms of the deal announced Tuesday by DuPont Co. and Monsanto Co. were not announced.

St. Louis-based Monsanto had claimed that DuPont had infringed upon certain Monsanto patents for determining a seed's genetics. Based in Wilmington, Delaware, DuPont had alleged that Monsanto had infringed upon certain DuPont seed-processing patents.

The presidents of both companies say settling the matter enables both companies to focus on their businesses.