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BASF stops another distributor from infringing its fipronil patents in Australia
- Sherwood Chemicals Australasia Pty Ltd has published notice that its Ultraforce Termite Foam will not be available for sale or offered for sale in Australia
- BASF fipronil and its innovative applications protect Australian crops and homes against devastating insect pests
- BASF continues to invest in R&D as part of commitment to sustainable agriculture and healthy environments
Melbourne, Australia – 29, 2017 – BASF has taken steps to prevent infringement of a family of patents, in this instance covering a ready-to-use foamable pesticide composition containing the active ingredient Fipronil. The dispute has been resolved. Sherwood Chemicals Australasia Pty Ltd has published a notice stating that its Ultraforce Products containing fipronil will not be available for sale or offered for sale in Australia.
Fipronil is the active ingredient in BASF products, including Adonis®, Regent®, Termidor® and Cosmos®. Its key applications provide effective solutions against devastating insect pests in crops, such as cotton, vegetables, bananas and mushrooms, and for the protection of industrial and residential property against termites.
“We can only support professional pest management, rural hygiene, stored products and public health with cutting edge chemistry and technology, if we continue to invest in new, high-performing solutions,” said Gavin Jackson, Head of BASF’s Agriculture business in Australia and New Zealand.
“In 2016 alone, BASF’s Crop Protection division spent €489 million on R&D and it will continue to invest approximately 9% of its sales in R&D.
“To be able to continue such substantial investment in the future of sustainable agriculture and healthy environments, we must protect our innovations to the fullest of our capabilities.
“The steps taken against Sherwood Chemicals Australasia Pty Ltd and previous court cases demonstrate BASF’s determination to enforce its intellectual property rights and to ensure that only the highest quality ingredients are present in Australia’s top brands and formulations.”
In 2013, Imtrade Australia Pty Ltd resolved court proceedings taken by BASF and Enviromax Technologies Pty Ltd settled out-of-court in 2014, both cases concerning allegations of infringement of one of BASF's patents covering processes for the manufacture of fipronil. In 2015 Sherwood Chemicals Australasia Pty Ltd published an announcement acknowledging infringement of one of BASF’s patents covering the use of fipronil for the treatment of cockroaches and ants.
In 2016, PCT Holdings published notice that its Covert Gold Cockroach Gel Bait Products was not going to be sold for the term of BASF's patent.
About BASF’s Crop Protection division
With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. BASF’s Crop Protection division works with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others to help make this possible. With their cooperation, BASF is able to sustain an active R&D pipeline, an innovative portfolio of products and services, and teams of experts in the lab and in the field to support customers in making their businesses succeed. In 2016, BASF’s Crop Protection division generated sales of more than €5.6 billion. For more information, please visit us at www.agriculture.basf.com or on any of our social media channels.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.
