Uitspraak Nº C/09/486543 / HA ZA 15-449. Rechtbank Den Haag, 2016-01-27

• ECLI: ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2016:698
• Docket Number: C/09/486543 / HA ZA 15-449
• Date: 27 Enero 2016
• Court: Rechtbank Den Haag (Neederland)

vonnis

RECHTBANK DEN HAAG

Team handel

Zittingsplaats Den Haag

zaaknummer / rolnummer: C/09/486543 / HA ZA 15-449

Vonnis van 27 januari 2016

in de zaak van

de vennootschap naar vreemd recht

SABINSA EUROPE GMBH,

gevestigd te Langen (Duitsland),

eiseres in conventie,

verweerster in reconventie,

advocaat mr. T.F.W. Overdijk te Amsterdam,

tegen

de besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid

P.K. BENELUX B.V.,

gevestigd te Uden,

gedaagde in conventie,

eiseres in reconventie,

advocaat mr. drs. A.M.E. Verschuur te Amsterdam.

Partijen zullen hierna Sabinsa en P.K. Benelux genoemd worden. De zaak is voor Sabinsa behandeld door haar advocaat voornoemd en voor P.K. Benelux door haar advocaat voornoemd, mr. T.H.B. Iserief, advocaat te Amsterdam en dr. V.S.I. Op den Brouw-Sprakel, octrooigemachtigde.

1 De procedure

1.1.

Het verloop van de procedure blijkt uit:

• -

  de beschikking van de voorzieningenrechter van deze rechtbank van 4 maart 2015, waarbij is toegestaan P.K. Benelux te dagvaarden in een procedure volgens het versneld regime in octrooizaken;

• -

  de dagvaarding van 10 maart 2015;

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  de akte overlegging producties van 15 april 2015 met producties 1 tot en met 17;

• -

  de conclusie van antwoord in conventie en van (deels voorwaardelijke) eis in reconventie van 24 juni 2015 met producties 1 tot en met 23;

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  de conclusie van antwoord in reconventie van 19 augustus 2015 met producties 18 tot en met 29;

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  de akte houdende overlegging producties van P.K. Benelux met producties 24 tot en met 32, ingekomen bij de griffie op 30 september 2015;

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  de brief van mr. Overdijk van 30 september 2015 met productie 30 zijdens Sabinsa;

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  de brief van mr. Verschuur van 12 november 2015 met een proceskostenopgave;

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  de brief van mr. Overdijk van 13 november 2015 met een proceskostenopgave;

• -

  de e-mail berichten van mr. Verschuur van 24 en 26 november 2015 met aanvullende proceskostenopgaven;

• -

  het e-mail bericht van mr. Overdijk van 26 november 2015 met een aanvullende proceskostenopgave en de aankondiging dat Sabinsa op de zitting een akte eisvermindering wil gaan nemen;

• -

  de mondelinge behandeling van 27 november 2015, de aldaar aan Sabinsa verleende akte eisvermindering en de daarbij overgelegde pleitnotities van beide partijen.

1.2.

Het vonnis is bepaald op heden.

2 De feiten

2.1.

Sabinsa is een dochteronderneming van Sabinsa Corporation, gevestigd in Piscataway, New Jersey, Verenigde Staten. Sabinsa Corporation ontwikkelt en verkoopt onder meer voedingssupplementen, Ayurvedische kruidenextracten en chemische toevoegingen voor de farmaceutische en voedingsmiddelenindustrie. Sabinsa verzorgt de marketing en verkoop van de producten van Sabinsa Corporation in Europa.

2.2.

Sabinsa Corporation was tot 6 november 2015 houdster van het Europees octrooi EP 0 810 868 B1 (hierna EP 868 of het octrooi), voor "Use of piperine as a gastrointestinal absorption enhancer". EP 868 is verleend op 29 augustus 2001 op een aanvrage van 6 november 1995, met inroeping van prioriteit vanaf 24 februari 1995 en 30 oktober 1995. Het octrooi is derhalve verlopen op 6 november 2015 en was tot die datum van kracht voor Nederland. Tegen EP 868 is geen oppositie ingesteld.

2.3.

De (oorspronkelijke) Engelse tekst van de conclusies van EP 868 luidt als volgt:

Claims

1. The use of synthetic piperine or an extract containing piperine for the manufacture of a composition for increasing gastrointestinal nutrient absorption in a subject at a dose of no more than 0.15 mg/kg of body weight of said subject.

2. The use according to claim 1, wherein said dose is 0.0004 to 0.15 mg/kg of body weight for oral administration.

3. The use according to claim 1, wherein said dose is 0.00004 to 0.015 mg/kg of body weight for topical or parenteral administration.

4. The use of synthetic piperine or an extract containing piperine for the manufacture of a composition for increasing lean body mass in a subject.

5. The use according to anyone of the previous claims, wherein said extract containing piperine comprises at least

one member selected from the group consisting of an extract from black pepper and an extract from long pepper.

6. The use according to anyone of the previous claims, wherein said subject is a human.

7. The use according to anyone of the previous claims, wherein said composition comprises at least one additional

material selected from the group consisting of herbal extracts, water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins, amino

acids, minerals and antioxidants.

8. The use according to claim 7, wherein said herbal extracts are selected from the group consisting of an extract

from roots of zingiber officinale, ginseng extract, curcumin, boswellin, ashwagandha, ginkgo biloba, capsaicin and

aconitine, said water-soluble vitamins are selected from the group consisting of vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacinamide, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid and vitamin C, said fat-soluble vitamins are selected from the group

consisting of vitamin A, vitamin 0, vitamin E and vitamin K, said antioxidants are selected from the group consisting

of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, alpha-carotene, trans-beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, Iycopene, lutein/ze-axanthin, pine bark bioflavonals complex, germanium, selenium and zinc, said amino acids are selected from the

group consisting of lysine, isoleucine, leucine, threonine, valine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, methionine and L-selenomethionine, and said minerals are selected from the group consisting of calcium, iron, zinc, vanadium, selenium, chromium, iodine, potassium, manganese, copper and magnesium.

2.4.

De onbestreden Nederlandse vertaling van de conclusies luidt als volgt:

2.5.

In de beschrijving van het octrooi is onder meer het volgende opgenomen:

Summary of the Invention

[0027] Subject matter of the present invention is the use of synthetic piperine or an extract containing piperine for

the manufacture of a composition for increasing gastrointestinal nutrient absorption according to claim 1, and for in-

creasing lean body mass, according to claim 4. Dependent claims 2, 3 and 5 to 8 relate to preferred embodiments

thereof.

[0028] The preparations manufactured according to the use of the present invention improve the bioavailability of

nutritional compounds. The compositions manufactured according to the use of the present invention increase gastrointestinal absorption, improve crossing over through certain biological barriers such as respiratory lining, urinary lining, blood brain barrier and skin, and systemic utilization of certain nutrients and biological compounds.

[0029] The compositions manufactured according to the use of the present invention contain, as an essential ingredient, piperine. This compound may be obtained as an extract from the fruit of piper nigrum comprising at least 98% piperine. Alternatively, the compositions may be prepared from an extract of the fruit of piper Iongum. Piperine made synthetically may also be used in the present invention. Compositions used according to the present invention may also contain extract from roots of zingiber officinale, with the active ingredients 6-gingerol and 6-shogoal. The compositions may be formulated with the extract from fruit of piper nigrum, extract from fruit of piper longum, and extract from fruits of zingiber officinale combined in any weight ratio. Preferred weight ratios include 2:2:1, 1:1:1,2:1:1, and 1 :2:1.

[0030] As a daily supplement taken with a nutrient or nutrients by an average healthy adult, piperine is effective and safe in a broad dose range. A preferred effective dose range of piperine for oral use to enhance gastrointestinal nutrient absorption is 0.0004-0.15 mg/kg/day. The recommended dose of piperine for a healthy individual for oral use is approximately 5 mg/person/day. The recommended dose in cases of clinically diagnosed nutritional deficiencies is up to 15 mg/person/day in divided doses, i.e., 5 mg every six hours (in the morning, at noon, and in the evening). When used as a preparation for topical or parenteral use to improve crossing over through a biological barrier, the compositions manufactured according to the use of the present invention contain, as an essential ingredient, 0.00004-0.015 mg/kg of body weight of piperine. The nutritional materials are used in nutritionally effective amounts.

[0031] Black pepper contains approximately 5-9% piperine and is listed by the FDA as an herb which is generally

recognized as safe (GRAS) for its intended use as spice, seasoning, or flavoring. The bioenhancing dose of piperine as used in the present invention is a maximum of approximately 15 mg/person/day, or no more than 20 mg/day in divided doses, which corresponds to from several thousands to up to 40,000 times less than the LD50 dose of piperine, as established in various experiments on rodents.

[0032] The active ingredient of the present invention may be prepared by a process which produces piperine of a purity greater than 98%.

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Description of the Preferred Embodiments

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[0052] Many of the nutrients, biological compounds and nutritional supplements which may be included in the compositions manufactured according to the use of the present invention are available commercially. Particularly, vitamin, mineral, amino acid and...