Over the past decade there has been a marked increase in litigation around intellectual property and transgenic crops. The court cases have brought to light a number of issues concerning biotech patents and royalty collection systems, and raised fundamental issues regarding farmers’ rights to save seeds and the rights of local communities over plant genetic resources. Litigation has also forced public authorities to address the legal conflict between patents and plant breeders’ rights in the case of transgenic plants. Drawing on interviews with rural union leaders, plant breeders, lawyers, and activists who are involved in biotech seed litigation, this talk explores the repercussions of legal activism around Roundup Ready soybeans in Brazil, and Bt cotton and Bt eggplant in India.