Knobbe Martens announced today that its client, global animal nutrition company Alltech, Inc., of Lexington, Kentucky, has settled its patent infringement lawsuit against Cenzone Tech, Inc. and its founder Jung Fu Wu. The parties settled their dispute under confidential terms, with Cenzone agreeing to pay an undisclosed sum to Alltech.
The settlement concludes over 18 months of federal litigation and was reached shortly after the United States District Court for the Southern District of California ruled that Cenzone’s Microbond product infringed Alltech’s U.S. Patent No. 6,045,834, directed to compositions and methods for combating mycotoxins in animal feed.
Mycotoxins are toxins produced by mold and are estimated to contaminate as much as 25% of the world’s grain supply. The patented composition, which was discovered by Alltech’s scientists approximately ten years ago, is now incorporated into Alltech’s successful MTB-100 and Mycosorb products.
Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech’s founder and President, stated “We are very pleased with the Court’s ruling that Cenzone has infringed our patent, and with Knobbe Martens’ ability to enforce and protect Alltech’s intellectual property rights. Alltech invests heavily in research and development in an effort to bring innovative products to its customers, and this case demonstrates Alltech’s commitment to enforcing its intellectual property rights that result from such research.”
Alltech is a global leader in animal nutrition and has offices and distributors in 85 countries. Knobbe Martens is one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the United States and represents clients in all areas of intellectual property law and litigation. The Knobbe Martens team representing Alltech included partners Joseph Jennings and Sheila Swaroop, and associates Colin Heideman and Frances Pai.
For information on Alltech, please visit www.alltech.com. Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP represents clients in all areas of intellectual property law, including transactional and litigation practices. Clients include public and private companies at various stages of growth, from start-up to the Fortune 500 worldwide. The firm has been recognized in international surveys for excellence in all aspects of intellectual property law. In 2007, the firm was ranked #1 for growth in patent litigation and in the top 10 for number of patent litigation cases in a nationwide survey conducted by IP Law 360. In addition, several members of the firm have been voted among the world’s leading intellectual property lawyers.
