The agreement means that AI companies will be able to purchase calves born from sires or dams with genetics that are IP-protected by competing AI companies.
The big three AI companies operating in Ireland have all signed cross-licensing agreements to purchase intellectual property (IP) protected calves this spring.
According to the three AI companies; NCBC (operating as Munster Bovine and Progressive Genetics), Dovea and Eurogene will all be able to purchase calves that have an intellectual property right held by one of these companies.
This cross-licensing agreement was one of the things promised by the AI companies at the time intellectual property rights were introduced in February of 2025.
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For farmers with high EBI bull calves that are of interest to AI companies as potential breeding bulls, it means that they are no longer prohibited from selling the IP protected calf to a different AI company from the one the sire was purchased from.
However, the cross-licensing agreement is currently only between the three aforementioned AI companies, with other AI companies such as Bova, Bullwise and Dunmasc excluded. According to Munster Bovine CEO Martin Kavanagh, the agreement provides “free and fair competition for calves and ensures access for each AI company to the top genetics”.
He says that even where farmers have exclusivity agreements with an AI company, they are entitled to share the details of bull calves with other AI companies.
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The big three AI companies operating in Ireland have all signed cross-licensing agreements to purchase intellectual property (IP) protected calves this spring.
According to the three AI companies; NCBC (operating as Munster Bovine and Progressive Genetics), Dovea and Eurogene will all be able to purchase calves that have an intellectual property right held by one of these companies.
This cross-licensing agreement was one of the things promised by the AI companies at the time intellectual property rights were introduced in February of 2025.
For farmers with high EBI bull calves that are of interest to AI companies as potential breeding bulls, it means that they are no longer prohibited from selling the IP protected calf to a different AI company from the one the sire was purchased from.
However, the cross-licensing agreement is currently only between the three aforementioned AI companies, with other AI companies such as Bova, Bullwise and Dunmasc excluded. According to Munster Bovine CEO Martin Kavanagh, the agreement provides “free and fair competition for calves and ensures access for each AI company to the top genetics”.
He says that even where farmers have exclusivity agreements with an AI company, they are entitled to share the details of bull calves with other AI companies.
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