Deliscious and PlantLab will not be heading to the court anymore. The lettuce grower from Beesel has agreed with a user license from PlantLab.
Vertical farming drama
It's a new episode in the patent-on-vertical-cultivation-drama. In this case, it concerns a patent that PlantLab obtained in 2008 on a cultivation concept. The patent involves cultivation in a (partially) controlled environment with lighting and a controllable root temperature. According to the company, the scope of the patent also goes quite far. "If you put lettuce under LED lights, the patent is not applicable," manager Marcel Kers explained earlier. "But the minute you start to control the cultivation by influencing the temperature, the patent applies. That can even have consequences for the lettuce cultivation under LED on water, for example."
PlantLab has, already for years, a difference of opinion about this patent with two parties in the vertical farming sector. At the end of last month, the company announced that objections against the patent were largely rejected.
Deliscious case
For the entrepreneurs behind lettuce grower Deliscious, this was the reason to end the years of controversy with PlantLab. The companies have worked together in the past, but that cooperation ended. In 2012, Deliscious still built a lettuce-on-water installation and according to PlantLab, this installation is an infringement on their patent. The parties met each other several times in court.
Last week, there was also the judgement on the patent. Certhon and Philips responded that they were not impressed. They doubt the applicability and scope and see the case in their favor. Deliscious however has now opted to agree with PlantLab for a user license. By recognizing PlantLab's patent and agreeing to a user license, the lawsuits are behind them.
Plantlab is pleased with the outcome. "We also have license agreements with other parties for the use of our patents and we are open to new parties who wish to apply for this in the future."