Apr 21 2008
Neuftec Limited, the proprietor of the original nano-particulate cerium Oxide fuel catalyst technology, today announced that IP Australia, the Australian government agency responsible for administering patents, trade marks and designs, has recently confirmed the validity of Neuftec's Australian Patent No. 2001267700 in Re-examination proceedings initiated by Oxonica PLC, a UK based nanomaterials group.
On 29 February 2008, IP Australia issued a re-examination report in respect of Neuftec's Australian patent. The patent had been issued in 2006 with 10 claims. In the re-examination report, IP Australia confirmed the patentability of the 10 claims as originally granted in 2006.
"We are extremely pleased at the promptness of IP Australia in confirming the validity of the Neuftec claims in the re-examination proceedings," said Ronen Hazarika of Neuftec. "Whilst a considerable amount of prior art was asserted in the reexamination against these claims, including all the art asserted by Oxonica, IP Australia has duly considered the art and confirmed the validity of the original claims contained in the patent as they were originally issued several years ago."
"These actions by IP Australia reaffirm our confidence in the strength and value of the inventions claimed in Neuftec's fuel additive technology patent portfolio. Obviously there must be huge technical and commercial value in our patents for a competitor to try and petition IP Australia to reexamine and invalidate certain claims in the patent."
"We have a strong legal & IP team, which since our dispute with Oxonica in January 2007, have successfully secured the termination of our licence of the technology to them, successfully argued that the non competition clause, preventing Neuftec from competing against Oxonica, was not enforceable and now they have skillfully dealt with this latest action. With such a strong legal team, who remain highly confident of Neuftec's legal arguments, we look forward to the upcoming trial in the Royal Courts of Justice, London in June 2008."