The Supreme Court ruled a farmer could not reproduce Monsanto's patented soybeans by planting and harvesting them without permission.
Under the patent exhaustion doctrine, Bowman could resell the patented soybeans he purchased from the grain elevator; but he could not reproduce the patented seeds through planting and harvesting without the patent holder's permission.
The Supreme Court ruled a farmer could not reproduce Monsanto's patented soybeans by planting and harvesting them without permission.