Sabinsa awarded $850,000 in curcuminoids patent suit

Sabinsa, which is based in Bangalore, India with other bases of operations in India as well as in New Jersey and Utah, supplies a variety of botanical extracts and fine chemicals.  The company has been a leader in the development of curcuminoid ingredients.  It sources its raw material for these and other botanicals from a bevy of small holder farmers in India and elsewhere.

Success breeds imitators

The burgeoning popularity of curcuminoid ingredients has brought many competitors into the market, some of whom are not playing by the rules as far as Sabinsa is concerned. After a lengthy patent dispute with competitor Olive Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd. the United States District Court in New Jersey entered a judgment on April 5 awarding Sabinsa more than $850,000 in damages, enhanced damages, attorney’s fees, costs, and interest.

 The company had first filed the suit on June 8, 2016. It covers Sabinsa’s US Patent No. 6,653,327 covering Sabinsa’s novel methods and formulations for tetrahydrocurcuminoids (THCs).

According to Sabinsa, the judgment concludes that the ’327 Patent is valid, enforceable, and properly issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Sabinsa has patents related to THCs in the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and other locations.  In the United States, Sabinsa has successfully litigated willful infringement of the ’327 patent and has obtained judgments against other infringers.

“As a pioneer in the industry, Sabinsa has researched and developed many innovative products used by the nutritional supplement industry,”​ said Sabinsa’s founder Dr. Muhammed Majeed.  “The success has spawned many imitators, and Sabinsa will not hesitate to enforce its patents and other intellectual property.”​

Olive Lifesciences did not respond in time for publication to a request for comment.