By: Boomerang Business Week
Source: http://news.businessweek.com
ovozymes A/S, the world's largest maker of industrial enzymes, said it won a U.S. trial in which a jury ordered DuPont Co.'s Danisco unit to pay $18.3 million for infringing a patent related to biofuel production.
Danisco, the biggest maker of food additives and second- largest industrial enzyme producer, was found to have willfully infringed the patent, a finding that may raise the damages award, Bagsvaerd, Denmark-based Novozymes said in a statement. DuPont, which bought Danisco in June, said it plans to appeal.
Novozymes sued Copenhagen-based Danisco last year in federal court in Madison, Wisconsin, accusing the company of taking its technology on an alpha amylase enzyme that remains active in high temperatures. The companies make substances that break down organic materials such as grain and corn to form an alternative to fossil fuels. U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled in July that some Danisco products infringed the patent.
The jury rejected Danisco's arguments that the patent didn't adequately describe the technology in a way that let others replicate the invention. The jury said other products didn't use the invention.
“We are confident in our position that Novozymes's patent is invalid,” Daniel Turner, a spokesman for Wilmington, Delaware-based DuPont, said in an e-mail. “We remain committed to providing innovative, sustainable ingredient solutions to our customers and we respect valid patent rights of others.”
Danisco had paid Novozymes $15.3 million in 2007 to settle a patent dispute over another enzyme used in ethanol production.
The case is Novozymes A/S v. Danisco A/S, 10-cv-251, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (Madison).
Intellectual Ventures Sues Nikon Units for Patent Infringement
Intellectual Ventures LLC, the invention company founded by former Microsoft Corp. Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myhrvold, sued four units of Japanese camera-maker Nikon Corp. for patent infringement.
According to the complaint filed Oct. 26 in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, Nikon products infringe four patents related to digital-camera technology. Bellevue, Washington-based IV didn't specify in its court filings which Nikon products are infringing.
IV said it initially approached Nikon in 2008 about taking a license to the patents. Nikon declined to meet with the technology-licensing company at that time, according to court papers.
In 2011, IV said it made a second approach to Nikon and its “good-faith efforts to negotiate a license” with the camera company failed.
In dispute are patents 6,121,960, issued in September 2000; 6,181,836, issued in January 2001; 6,221,686, issued in April 2001, and 6,979,587, issued in December 2005.
According to court papers, IV now claims to have a portfolio of “more than 35,000” IP assets, including 3,000 patents and patent applications stemming from the Bellevue company's own work.
IV said in the complaint it has paid individual inventors more than $400 million for their inventions and has earned more than $2 billion from patent licensing. The closely held company has filed at least seven patent-infringement suits since December 2010, according to Bloomberg data.
Nikon didn't respond immediately to an e-mailed request for comment.
The case is Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Sendai Nikon Corp., 11-cv-01025, U.S. District Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).
Source: http://news.businessweek.com/article.asp?documentKey=1376-LTQV1F0D9L3501-5LA0PRGDUJR9OJQODBDVNII2A1
Source: http://news.businessweek.com
ovozymes A/S, the world's largest maker of industrial enzymes, said it won a U.S. trial in which a jury ordered DuPont Co.'s Danisco unit to pay $18.3 million for infringing a patent related to biofuel production.
Danisco, the biggest maker of food additives and second- largest industrial enzyme producer, was found to have willfully infringed the patent, a finding that may raise the damages award, Bagsvaerd, Denmark-based Novozymes said in a statement. DuPont, which bought Danisco in June, said it plans to appeal.
Novozymes sued Copenhagen-based Danisco last year in federal court in Madison, Wisconsin, accusing the company of taking its technology on an alpha amylase enzyme that remains active in high temperatures. The companies make substances that break down organic materials such as grain and corn to form an alternative to fossil fuels. U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled in July that some Danisco products infringed the patent.
The jury rejected Danisco's arguments that the patent didn't adequately describe the technology in a way that let others replicate the invention. The jury said other products didn't use the invention.
“We are confident in our position that Novozymes's patent is invalid,” Daniel Turner, a spokesman for Wilmington, Delaware-based DuPont, said in an e-mail. “We remain committed to providing innovative, sustainable ingredient solutions to our customers and we respect valid patent rights of others.”
Danisco had paid Novozymes $15.3 million in 2007 to settle a patent dispute over another enzyme used in ethanol production.
The case is Novozymes A/S v. Danisco A/S, 10-cv-251, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (Madison).
Intellectual Ventures Sues Nikon Units for Patent Infringement
Intellectual Ventures LLC, the invention company founded by former Microsoft Corp. Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myhrvold, sued four units of Japanese camera-maker Nikon Corp. for patent infringement.
According to the complaint filed Oct. 26 in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, Nikon products infringe four patents related to digital-camera technology. Bellevue, Washington-based IV didn't specify in its court filings which Nikon products are infringing.
IV said it initially approached Nikon in 2008 about taking a license to the patents. Nikon declined to meet with the technology-licensing company at that time, according to court papers.
In 2011, IV said it made a second approach to Nikon and its “good-faith efforts to negotiate a license” with the camera company failed.
In dispute are patents 6,121,960, issued in September 2000; 6,181,836, issued in January 2001; 6,221,686, issued in April 2001, and 6,979,587, issued in December 2005.
According to court papers, IV now claims to have a portfolio of “more than 35,000” IP assets, including 3,000 patents and patent applications stemming from the Bellevue company's own work.
IV said in the complaint it has paid individual inventors more than $400 million for their inventions and has earned more than $2 billion from patent licensing. The closely held company has filed at least seven patent-infringement suits since December 2010, according to Bloomberg data.
Nikon didn't respond immediately to an e-mailed request for comment.
The case is Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Sendai Nikon Corp., 11-cv-01025, U.S. District Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).
Source: http://news.businessweek.com/article.asp?documentKey=1376-LTQV1F0D9L3501-5LA0PRGDUJR9OJQODBDVNII2A1
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