NAVASOTA, Texas — Sexing Technologies (ST) d/b/a STgenetics, a world leader and innovator in
bovine genetics, announces that it has successfully challenged the validity of four U.S. Patents relating to
semen sexing and owned by Premium Genetics, an affiliate of ABS Global (Madison, Wisconsin).
The decision comes at the conclusion of legal proceedings in the U.S. Patent Office initiated by ST, which
along with its subsidiaries XY, LLC and Cytonome, Inc. have been leading innovators in sex sorting
technology for more than 20 years. The companies’ research and development activities have resulted in
over 100 U.S. patents awarded to them in the field of livestock sperm sorting. ST’s experienced research
staff led the companies’ efforts in the development of SexedULTRATM high fertility sex semen products,
which boast conception rates rivaling conventional semen and add value to customers’ businesses.
Over the past 18 months, ST petitioned the U.S. Patent Office to cancel four Premium Genetics patents that
were apparently aimed at protecting ABS Global’s future launch of a semen sexing process designed to
compete with ST’s unique and innovative SexedULTRATM semen sorting process. In detailed filings
presented to the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board, ST argued that none of the four patents were valid
because the patented inventions were not sufficiently new and were obvious variations of “prior art” that
included ST’s earlier patents.
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board sided with ST in a series of rulings culminating in a “Final Written
Decision” issued on December 20, 2016. As a result of these rulings, all four Premium Genetics patents
have been cancelled in their entireties. The invalidated patents are: U.S. Patent No. 7,118,676; U.S. Patent
No. 7,355,696; U.S. Patent No. 7,545,491; and U.S. Patent No. 8,933,395.
“We are pleased that the Patent Office agreed with ST that Premium Genetics’ semen sexing patents should
not have been granted in the first place,” ST CEO Juan Moreno said. “As the pioneer of commercial sexed
semen in the U.S., ST is committed to protecting the sorting technology that we’ve invested significant
fiscal and manpower resources to create. We will continue to rigorously defend our intellectual property to
ensure that we can offer the highest fertility sexed semen in the marketplace with our exclusive
SexedULTRATM products.”
Sexing Technologies and its affiliate, STgenetics, are worldwide leaders and innovators in livestock
reproductive services, including sex sorted semen and embryo production.