Carlsberg claims barley variety as its “invention”. Resistance is mounting.
Germany | Independent breweries in Austria and Germany are sounding the alarm and fear for the diversity of beer. The reason: The Danish brewer is claiming barley plants from classic breeding and their use for brewing beer as its “invention” and has been granted a patent (EP2575433 B1) at the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich. This means that all other breweries have to pay license fees if they want to use this patented barley.