FISHERY, AQUACULTURE

We have employees with many years experience in protection of solutions within the fisheries and aquaculture industries, for example patents. Our consultants assist with the filing and processing of patent applications, strategy, monitoring and assessment of infringement. We can also assist with “freedom-to operate” analysis and conflicts in and outside of the courts.

Fisheries and aquaculture have long traditions in Norway, and Norwegian fish has been exported for several hundred years.  Norwegian fish farming produced almost 1.3 million tons of fish in 2012, which is the equivalent of 60% of the world’s production of Atlantic salmon.  Aquaculture also covers the commercial cultivation and/or harvesting of algae and crustaceans, which is an industry which must be considered still to be in a start-up phase.

Fish farming and traditional fishing are industries which have a lot of innovative solutions.  Continually new methods of fishing/tools, feed and processing methods are being developed making both traditional fishing and fish farming stronger and more forward-thinking industries. Fish farming has many challenges as regards feed resources, escaping fish and effects on the environment, both in relation to their immediate surrounds in connection to the cages, and breeds of wild salmon. Further, the customers want fish for sale on the market to be traceable back to the fish farm/fished area, and that it be documented that it is healthy and has been treated well.  Slaughter and breed improvement of fish is also an area in which attention is being paid to further development and automation as well as fish welfare and consideration of the environment.

There is a lot of research and great focus on finding new solutions within this industry, which results in a high level of innovation. The challenge is, however, keeping the good solutions so that they become profitable and not just copied by competitors.  One of the means to achieving this is to apply for patents for new inventions, and thus, later license out the rights. In this manner you can increase your earnings at the same time as licensing will allow everyone to profit on the further development.  Other means can be design rights as well as protection of your trademark so that potential buyers can easily distinguish the product from that particular company.

In Norway, statistically, there has been a great increase in the number of patent applications in this area in recent times.  This also means that there will be more rights you will have to take into account, and this can limit the scope you probably thought you had.

Monitoring the competitors or the industry will therefore provide knowledge of competitors but also contribute so that you avoid developing something which it later turns out that another has sole right to, and therefore cannot be used.