Dive Summary:
- Neptune technologies has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) claiming that several other companies who are attempting to sell krill oil in the U.S. are infringing on its patents.
- This move, if acted upon by the ITC, would put the krill oil industry, one of the fastest growing industries in the supplement sector, in complete disarray.
- The companies targeted by Neptune have all released statements of protest against the complaint, claiming Neptune is just trying to bully them out of the markets.
From the article:
“We are asking the ITC to put the knife through the heart,” states Tina Sampalis, M.D., Ph.D., chief global strategy officer for Neptune. “We are asking the ITC to block the entry of infringing products into the United States.” In the end, Neptune wants the ITC to stop Aker BioMarine AS, Aker BioMarine Antarctic USA, Inc., Aker BioMarine Antarctic AS, Enzymotec Limited, Enzymotec USA, Inc., Olympic Seafood AS, Olympic Biotec Ltd., Rimfrost USA, LLC, Bioriginal Food & Science Corp. and Avoca, Inc. (a division of Pharmachem Laboratories Inc.) from marketing, selling and importing krill paste and krill oils that violate Neptune’s patent rights, either directly or indirectly.
