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US SWEETENER GROUP SWEEGEN GAINS KEY ‘REB M’ STEVIA COURT VERDICT IN PURECIRCLE
PATENT CASE

Stevia plant production is now big business around the world. Sweegen has won a
key patent judgement in the US.

Posted: 4 January 2024

Related core topics: Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients, New
products, Processing, Regulatory, Sustainability

Related topics: confectionery, court case, development, intellectual property,
patents, products, research, sweeteners

Related organisations: PurCircle, Sweegen

Related people: Steven Chen

Related regions: europe, US, worldwide


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US-based sweetener specialist, Sweegen, has gained a key success with a court
verdict in America, which had seen it face allegations of patent infringement
from fellow sector business PureCircle, over stevia product series Rebaudioside
M (Reb M), used widely within confectionery, reports Neill Barston.

The California business was named as the defendant in the case held this week at
the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, with the outcome having
potential major implications for development of finished goods across a number
of market segments.

As the company noted, Reb M, which is a coveted steviol glycoside molecule,
plays a crucial role in the global production of stevia sweeteners, with the
business asserting that its win meant that ‘the decision removes any lingering
doubt that Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) customers may be encumbered by
PureCircle’s patents for using Sweegen’s Reb M.

In the court case, PureCircle had argued that its patents were in fact
sufficiently robust in terms of its description, which the judge rejected. In
order to fulfil a written description of a patent, it must, according to the
court,  “clearly allow persons of ordinary skill in the art to recognise that
[the inventor] invented what is claimed.”

Notably, Sweegen added that its latest legal success follows in the wake of
related initial court proceedings that had been heard in 2022, with the latest
judgement rejecting PurCircle’s claim over two specific patents – “273 patent”
“’257 patent” relating to stevia production, which was found not to have
adequate written description over precisely what the innovation for these items
related to

Sweegen’s CEO Steven Chen, commented: “As one of the staunchest stewards of
proprietary technologies in wellness ingredients, Sweegen has actively defended
its intellectual property rights while upholding a commitment to respecting the
rights of others.

“Throughout this litigation, we consistently asserted the invalidity of
PureCircle’s patents, considering their case against Sweegen as baseless and
spurious. This triumph in the U.S. Court of Appeals serves to highlight
Sweegen’s dedication to principled innovation and fair competition within the
industry.”

As the company added, In May 2022, it had secured a summary judgment, declaring
PureCircle’s asserted patents related to the production of Reb M as invalid. The
ruling is said to now removes any impediments that PureCircle’s patents may have
posed for producers in the United States. Specifically, the federal court’s
Opinion confirmed the district court’s decision that certain claims in the
patents were found invalid due to a lack of written description. Additionally,
it determined that a specific claim in one of the patents is unpatentable.

“Sweegen’s commitment to innovation, excellence, and fair competition has been
reaffirmed through the successful appeal process,” added Chen. “This victory not
only strengthens Sweegen’s position in the market but also contributes to the
broader landscape of the stevia sweetener industry. Sweegen is positioned to
lead the charge in shaping a landscape of limitless possibilities, delivering
unparalleled sweetness to consumers and driving positive change on a global
scale.”

In a further move before the end of last year, the company revealed plans to
tackle  mislabeling within the stevia industry, specifically concerning Reb M
stevia sold under intentionally false claims, which it is continuing to
investigate. Through independent testing, the business added that it had
discovered third-party Reb M products sold to food and beverage companies under
label claims of “Reb-M 95%,” “Bioconversion Reb-M 95%,” or “Stevia (Organic)
Extract Reb-M 95%” are not made through extraction or bioconversion.

 


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