Eco-n patent upheld

Eco-n patent upheld

10 March 2011

Ravensdown is thrilled its eco-n patent has been upheld in the High Court at Auckland, securing this important agricultural environmental technology in New Zealand.
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“It’s been a lengthy process – one that we now hope is over,” says Ravensdown CEO Rodney Green.

In 2002 Ravensdown lodged a patent for the application of nitrification inhibitors to cover grazed pasture soil, which could have a vital role in reducing environmental impacts of farming. The science was developed by Lincoln University and has now been written up in 17 peer reviewed scientific papers.

A competing fertiliser company has continued to pursue expensive legal challenges to the patent since lodgement, most recently appealing the patent, which was approved by the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) in 2009, to the High Court.

“Justice Patricia Courtney upholding our patent means we could now have patents granted in New Zealand, Argentina and Australia, with patents pending in Europe and the United States,” Mr Green says.

“Lincoln University and Ravensdown have invested heavily in the science behind eco-n and we think it’s vital to patent the technology – that is the method of delivery of eco-n – to protect the intellectual property.

“No other country has developed such a method that has the proven environmental benefits of reducing nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions. Eco-n also increases pasture production on intensively grazed pasture systems,” he says.

Eco-n mitigates many of the environmental concerns surrounding dairy farming. As these concerns around the world grow, this New Zealand technology will become increasingly important.

“Increasingly regional councils are focusing on the impact of farming and water quality. Eco-n helps farmers intensify without increasing their environmental footprint. This technology will be vital for New Zealand to maintain its position as a supplier of high-end food to the world.

“With the intellectual property clear Ravensdown will ensure it is available to all New Zealand farmers and are now in a position to discuss the licensing of the technology with interested parties,” Mr Green says.

ENDS

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