Royal DSM has emerged victorious in a patent infringement case against Lallemend, with a unanimous jury verdict in a Federal court in Wisconsin concluding that all glycerol reducing ethanol yeast products, used in cosmetics, infringe DSM’s US Patent 8,795,998.

Despite the two companies attempting to settle out of court on numerous occasions, DSM eventually filed the case. The global science-based company stated that Lallemend’s products, which include Transferm Yield+ and YP3, used in the production of ethanol infringe its products, with a jury taking seven days to reach the conclusion that DSM’s patent is valid.

Atul Thakrar, President of DSM Bio-based Products & Services, said, “We are happy with the outcome of the case. Our focus is to bring customers the latest in yeast technology allowing them to deliver the best fermentation results.
“Continual development and protecting this intellectual property is a key component of our strategy that supports our significant biofuel investments. We are committed to deliver differentiating yeast and enzyme technologies that enable biofuel plant owners to optimize their processes and maximize their yields and profits in a sustainable way.”

Lallemend refused to comment while the case is still ongoing, with Angus Ballard, President and General Manager stating, “Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits prefers not to comment while this legal dispute is ongoing.
“We would like to thank our customers for their continued trust and support while we continue the legal process to ultimately resolve this dispute between Lallemand and DSM.”