RE: Great News-Lignol receives approval of key bioInformation Bulletin - Lignol receives approval of key biorefining patent application
6/8/2011 8:30 AM - Canada NewsWire
VANCOUVER, Jun 8, 2011, 2011 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX News Network) --
Lignol Energy Corporation (TSXV: LEC), a leading technology company in advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals, today announced that it received confirmation from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office that its first Canadian patent application has been approved.
"The approval of one of our core biorefining process patents in Canada is good news for Lignol and our shareholders," said Ross MacLachlan, President and CEO. "This patent reinforces our decision to invest in a robust intellectual property portfolio which provides significant barriers to competitors who may seek to replicate elements of our process or produce certain lignin derivatives."
The patent, entitled "Continuous counter-current organosolv processing of lignocellulosic feedstocks," is a companion to a US patent issued on December 16, 2008. The Canadian patent is broader in scope and includes process, systems and novel composition of matter claims.
It is anticipated that over the next year related patent filings will be approved in a number of jurisdictions. It should be noted that this patent is separate and distinct from the four applications referred to in Lignol's April 14, 2011 press release.
Lignol's rapidly growing patent portfolio currently consists of over sixty patent applications in various stages of approval and prosecution. The portfolio includes patent families relating to processes, systems, the composition of extractives (including lignin derivatives), and their applications. Lignol also owns several trademarks and a significant body of trade secrets.