ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ:
GEVO), will file today a motion for preliminary injunction against
Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels LLC (Butamax) and E.I. du Pont de
Nemours and Company (DuPont) (NYSE: DD) to immediately stop ongoing
infringement by Butamax and DuPont of a Gevo patent covering the
production of isobutanol with genetically engineered
microorganisms.
"Isobutanol is an extremely versatile molecule that can be used
for production of everything from the gasoline blendstock of the
future to jet fuel and from automotive tires to soft drink
bottles," said Brett Lund, Executive
Vice President and General Counsel. "Because this molecule is so
valuable, competitors are infringing on Gevo patents that cover our
advanced, low-cost production of isobutanol. Today, we are asking
the court to issue a preliminary injunction to halt a particularly
egregious ongoing infringement of one of many patents we hold
covering our advanced, field-proven, commercial-scale, production
technology."
The request for a preliminary injunction involves Gevo's U.S.
Patent No. 8,133,715 (the '715 Patent), which covers a production
process using isobutanol-producing yeast. Gevo's request for
preliminary injunction follows a lawsuit filed March 13, 2012, in the U.S. District Court for
Delaware, which alleges that
Butamax and DuPont infringe the '715 Patent. Gevo is requesting
that the District Court intervene to immediately halt ongoing
infringement of the '715 Patent by Butamax and DuPont.
"The '715 Patent covers technology that dramatically improves
isobutanol production. It achieves this result by eliminating a
pathway in native yeast that 'hijacks' carbohydrates away from the
isobutanol pathway," said Lund. "Our scientists discovered and
patented the elimination of this competing yeast
pathway."
"We are happy to compete in the marketplace – whether with the
mega petroleum or chemical industry companies that are currently
backing Butamax – or anyone else," said Lund. "However, we
expect our competitors to play by the rules and not illegally use
our proprietary and patented technology to overcome their own
technological deficiencies. That is why we filed a lawsuit in
March, and why we are now seeking a preliminary injunction to halt
their continued infringement of the '715 Patent."
Gevo is the global leader in developing technology to produce
isobutanol using genetically modified microorganisms. Gevo's patent
portfolio includes more than 400 patents and patent
applications.
About Gevo
Gevo is converting existing ethanol plants into biorefineries to
make renewable building block products for the chemical and fuel
industries. The Company plans to convert renewable raw materials
into isobutanol and renewable hydrocarbons that can be directly
integrated on a "drop-in" basis into existing chemical and fuel
products to deliver environmental and economic benefits. Gevo is
committed to a sustainable biobased economy that meets society's
needs for plentiful food and clean air and water. For more
information, visit www.gevo.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements include statements that are not purely statements of
historical fact, and can sometimes be identified by our use of
terms such as "intend," "expect," "plan," "estimate," "future,"
"strive" and similar words. These forward-looking statements are
made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and
assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to
significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All
such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are
made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise
these statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise. Although the company believes that the
expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are
reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties
that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be
expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a
further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ from those expressed in these
forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the
business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual
Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2011, as amended, and in subsequent
reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC
by Gevo.
SOURCE Gevo, Inc.