ICM, Inc. Continues to Offer
Oil Extraction Alternatives
Colwich, Kan. - ICM, Inc. continues to expand its market share by offering differentiated solutions to corn ethanol processing facilities to remove corn oil from stillage streams.
ICM recently announced the filing of a non-provisional patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its Advanced Oil System and the first commercial deployment of the technology. The Advanced Oil System has garnered tremendous interest from industry operators. ICM also continues to offer its Tricanter Oil Separation System to the industry.
Chris Mitchell, Executive Vice-President of ICM stated, “We offer products, technology and services to ethanol plants that are designed to increase the revenue to the plant from each bushel of corn. Our focus is on the success and viability of our customers. Our oil extraction offerings are examples of this focus. We offer the systems on a non-royalty bearing basis with a strong return on investment for the customer. We also offer full indemnification from patent infringement as part of each sale. While we prefer to focus on the benefits of ICM’s technology, we feel compelled to respond to a press release issued by GreenShift Corporation on July 25, 2011.”
In that press release, related to a notice of allowance from the USPTO for GreenShift's patent application number 11/241,231, titled "Method of Processing Ethanol Byproducts and Related Subsystems," GreenShift made legal characterizations and conclusions with respect to the action of the USPTO. Brian Burris, General Counsel of ICM, stated in response, "The statement that Notice of Allowance of the '231 patent from the USPTO substantially confirms the validity of any of the GreenShift patents is a mischaracterization. The USPTO does not determine the validity of issued patents - the federal courts do. ICM sued GreenShift in Kansas federal district court for declaratory judgment and unfair competition for this very reason on the date the original patent was issued. There is substantial evidence not before the USPTO and not yet presented to the federal courts that impacts the validity of the GreenShift patents. ICM remains confident that the GreenShift patents will be declared invalid. Further, ICM continues to believe that under a proper interpretation of the patents' claims, the Tricanter Oil Separation System does not infringe GreenShift's patents." Burris also reiterated that "ICM's new Advanced Oil System design and method clearly fall outside all patent claims of GreenShift Corporation's patents under any construction."
"While our company policy is not to comment on matters in current litigation, ICM felt it is necessary to clarify to the industry statements made by GreenShift," Burris concluded.
