On May 16, Royal DSM announced it has received unanimous jury verdict in a federal court in Wisconsin concluding that glycerol-reducing yeast products sold by Lallemand infringe on DSM’s U.S. Patent 8,795,998. In response, Lallemand indicated it will not comment while the legal dispute is ongoing.

"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," said Atul Thakrar, president of DSM Bio-based Products & Services. "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."

In court, DSM alleged that Lallemand’s glycerol-reducing yeast products, including Transferm Yield-plus and YP3 used in the production of ethanol, infringe upon DSM’s U.S. 8,795,998 patent. After seven days of trial, DSM said the jury concluded that the DSM patent is valid and is being infringed by Lallemand’s glycerol-reducing yeast products.

"Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits prefers not to comment while this legal dispute is ongoing,” said Angus Ballard, president and general manager of Lallemand. “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."