Seoul Dairy Cooperative announced on the 25th that it has successfully invalidated The a2 Milk Company's patent in South Korea related to A2 protein through a patent invalidation trial.
Background
Regular milk contains both A1 and A2 proteins, while A2 milk contains only A2 protein. Studies have suggested that A2 protein may be easier to digest than A1 protein. The a2 Milk Company has been leading the A2 milk market with patents in several countries related to these beneficial effects.
Seoul Dairy's Argument
Seoul Dairy argued that the unique properties of A2 protein are not a technology that can be exclusively protected by a specific company, and filed a patent invalidation trial.
Patent Court's Decision
The Korean Intellectual Property Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board ruled on the 19th that two patents held by The a2 Milk Company were invalid. The reasons for the decision were that the patents lacked novelty and technical differentiation from existing research, lacked inventiveness, and that the digestibility of A2 protein was already a generally known property and therefore could not be recognized as a patentable technology.
Seoul Dairy's Expectations
An official from Seoul Dairy said, "With this ruling, the growth of the A2 milk industry in Korea is expected to accelerate." He added, "As Seoul Dairy is leading the domestic A2 milk market with 'A2+ Milk', we will continue to introduce A2 milk products that consumers can trust based on differentiated quality and excellent raw milk."
Seoul Dairy's Recent Activities
In April of last year, Seoul Dairy launched 'A2+ Milk', which contains 100% A2 protein by separating and collecting milk only from cows with the A2 protein genotype. 'A2+ Milk' has been well received, with cumulative sales exceeding 37.5 million units since its launch. Seoul Dairy plans to continue expanding the number of A2 raw milk-exclusive ranches and accelerate the development of various products centered on A2 raw milk.
Seoul Dairy's Future Plans
Seoul Dairy plans to continue expanding the number of A2 raw milk-exclusive ranches and accelerate the development of various products centered on A2 raw milk.
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