The denso gene of barley mutant cultivar ‘Diamant’wasfreelyusedforbreedingmorethan150 leading barley cultivars all over the world. The recent trend in some countries that allows patenting of plant genes and restricts the free access to genes and germplasm could be the biggest folly of plant breeding. It will kill the globalsynergygeneratedbythetransfer of selected genes in local cultivars. Such patent laws will restrict access to new and novel genes whether mutated or molecularly manipulated, and will be a disaster for the economiesof developingcountries.