EU Patent Office Upholds Martek Patent, Narrows Scope of Claims

EU Patent Office Upholds Martek Patent, Narrows Scope ofClaims

COLUMBIA, Md.--Martek Biosciences Corp. announced the OppositionDivision of the European Patent Office upheld the company's European arachidonicacid (ARA) oil patent in a modified form with narrower claims. However, Martek (www.martekbio.com)plans to appeal the decision to broaden the claims closer to those originallygranted; during the appeal, the original patent will be reinstated for theduration of the appeal process, which could take up to two years. It also plansto file new applications based on the original ARA oil patent application tobroaden the scope of protection provided by the patent and other intellectualproperty.