Sheehan Genetics LLC is pleased to announce that it has reached a settlement with Jakov P. Dulcich and Sons, of Delano California in the disputes between the two companies concerning Sheehan's table grape variety, Sheegene 17, at both the Patent and Trademark Office and in federal district court in California.
Before the present settlement, the Patent and Trademark Office had already determined that Dulcich's patent on the variety that Dulcich had sold as Green Emerald will be revoked as Dulcich could not show to the Patent and Trademark Office that this variety was not the variety Sheegene 17 which is owned by Sheehan. Sheehan expects its patent for the Sheegene 17 variety to issue soon.
A spokesman for Sheehan said that the company is very happy with the agreement that ends both the proceeding at the Patent and Trademark Office and the litigation with Dulcich and clarifies the situation on Sheegene 17. Grape growers in California can now be licensed by Sheehan to plant the Sheehan variety Sheegene 17 (known by Sheehan as "Great Green" and by Dulcich as "Green Emerald") confident in the knowledge that this variety is owned by Sheehan and that the variety is properly protected.
Dulcich will, under license from Sheehan, continue to grow and market Sheegene 17 using Dulcich's own highly successful brand name of "Green Emerald".