The patents in question arose from work conducted by a UH faculty member in the 1990s, at the request of Samoan taro growers, to address the near eradication of their taro crops to a leaf blight.

• 此事相关之专利权争议缘起于1990年代，当时夏威夷大学学者应萨摩亚农民之邀，协助根除芋头作物的枯叶病。