TULSA, Okla., Feb. 8, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On February 7, 2013, Syntroleum Corporation (Nasdaq:SYNM) filed suit against Neste Oil Singapore Pte Ltd with the High Court of Singapore asserting its Singapore Patent No. 172,045 entitled "Even Carbon Number Paraffin Composition And Method of Manufacturing Same." In the court filing, Syntroleum alleges that Neste's "operation at its renewable diesel refinery in Singapore involves the processing of a bio-renewable feedstock to produce a hydrocarbon composition having at least 75 wt % even carbon number paraffins" which Syntroleum alleges "is claimed at the very least, in claim 22 of the Patent." Syntroleum's patent issued on November 15, 2012, and expires on December 10, 2028.
Syntroleum's action against Neste is not the first dispute between the parties. In May 2012, Neste Oil Oyj sued Syntroleum for alleged infringement of Neste's U.S. Patent No. 8,187,344. On January 31, 2013, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware granted Syntroleum's motion to stay Neste's lawsuit pending reexamination of the '344 patent by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). Previously, the USPTO had granted Syntroleum's inter partes reexamination request and issued a September 14, 2012 Office Action initially rejecting all claims of the '344 patent as obvious in view of the prior art. The '344 patent is related to and shares the same inventors as a prior Neste patent (U.S. Patent No. 7,279,018), and both are directed to a fuel composition for diesel engines. The USPTO's recent Order is consistent with a prior finding on March 22, 2012 by the USPTO's Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences affirming the Examiner's rejection of the '018 patent's claims. Neste declined to appeal that ruling and on July 31, 2012, the USPTO issued a Reexamination Certificate canceling all claims of the '018 patent. The reexamination proceedings involving the '344 patent remain pending.
Syntroleum continues to defend a second suit filed by Neste on December 20, 2012 in the District of Delaware alleging patent infringement of U.S. Patent No. 8,212,094. The '094 patent covers similar subject matter and shares a common inventor with Neste's '018 and '344 patents. Syntroleum denies Neste's claims and will continue to vigorously defend against the Neste patents and is confident that its position will be vindicated.
Syntroleum has invested substantial time and resources in its proprietary Bio-Synfining® technology and will likewise seek to enforce its intellectual property rights in venues around the world.
About Syntroleum (Nasdaq:SYNM)
Syntroleum Corporation owns the Syntroleum® Process for Fischer-Tropsch (FT) conversion of synthesis gas into liquid hydrocarbons, the Synfining® Process for upgrading FT liquid hydrocarbons into refined petroleum products, and the Bio-Synfining® technology for converting renewable feedstocks into drop-in fuels. Syntroleum has a 50% interest in Dynamic Fuels, LLC, which operates a 75 million gallon per year renewable fuels facility located in Geismar, Louisiana utilizing its Bio-Synfining® technology. For additional information, visit the Company's web site at www.syntroleum.com.
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This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as well as historical facts. These forward‑looking statements may include statements relating to the Fischer-Tropsch ("FT") Process, Syntroleum® Process, the Synfining® Process, and related technologies including, gas-to-liquids ("GTL"), coal-to-liquids ("CTL"), and biomass-to-liquids ("BTL"), our renewable fuels Bio-Synfining® Technology, plants based on the Syntroleum® Process and/or Bio-Synfining®, anticipated costs to design, construct and operate these plants, the time of commencement and completion of the design and construction of these plants, expected production of fuel, obtaining required financing for these plants and our other activities, the economic construction and operations of Fischer-Tropsch ("FT") and/or Bio-Synfining® plants, the value and markets for products, testing, certification, characteristics and use of Plant products, the continued development of the Syntroleum® Process and Bio-Synfining® Technology and the anticipated capital expenditures, expense reductions, cash outflows, expenses, use of proceeds from out equity offerings, anticipated revenues, availability of catalyst, our support of and relationship with our licensees, and any other forward-looking statements including future growth, cash needs, capital availability, operations, business plans and financial results. When used in this document, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "should" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward‑looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward‑looking statements are reasonable, these kinds of statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may not be consistent with these forward‑looking statements. Syntroleum undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements are described under "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and elsewhere in our 2011 Annual Report on Form 10K.
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