ATM - A2 Milk Corporation Limited

[Snoopy]

There is nothing to stop someone selling buffalo milk of Jersey cow milk for that matter, but they cannot brand any product as being A2, they cannot test the cows or milk as being A2, and thus cannot demonstrate that any product is BCM-7 protein free without legal issue. ATM have enforced their patents successfully in the past.

Thanks for the A2 slides Mac. I now see all the patents that A2 have in Genotyping A2 animals, amongst the other IP that I wasn't fully aware of before.

My main point though still stands. I was not to seriously suggest that getting milk from buffalo is a serious threat to A2 in the United States. My point was that A1 was a genetic mutation in the first place, some five to ten thousand years ago when man was in the very early stages of farming. Animals exist that are still naturally A2. I picked on the buffalo simply because AFAIK they have never been seriously farmed by man and so are an obvious breed of 'cattle' that are likely still A2. I am not familiar enough with other bovine breeds to tell you what other A2 cattle is out there. Scottish Highland Cattle might be a more realistic example of a breed that has been more recently domesticated?

I accept all the points you have made reinforcing the strong brand protection of A2. And the likelihood that tests to determine whether particular cows are A2 also come under A2 IP and so provide an extra layer of intellectual property protection against would be A2 freeloaders.

My argument rests on the premise that A2 is the more natural beta-casein state. Thus is you have a breed of cattle that have never had the A1 mutation, there is no need to test for A1, and therefore no need to infringe any A2 patents for genotype. If a species remains such that the resulting milk is in its natural beta-casein state (dubbed A2 by A2 Milk Limited, but there is no need to call it that), then that could be a sufficient marketing message in itself.

"Quality milk unaltered by 5,000 years of the human hand"

I feel a marketing campaign coming on, that completely bypasses all of A2's IP.

SNOOPY

[airedale]

I would expect the a2 board and their PR people to emphasise that the A1 spin is by a PR company previously hired to sell tobacco and alcohol. No credibility.

[MAC]

There are two or three decades now of scientific debate now over the patenting of genetics. One outcome is generally accepted such that a gene cannot generally be patented only discovered, however, how that gene or characteristic is used in a process and/or as a brand is patentable.

Someone else may discover BCM-7 free animals, most Jersey cows are, but they would incur patent infringement in branding any product from those cows as A2, and they would incur infringement in several other areas for which ATM hold patents including the animal categorisation test process.

As much as you may wish this not to be the case Snoopy your efforts in knocking ATM are unfounded, and well just wrong, and this has been proven through legal challenge, precedence, and through nearly a decade of market application without issue in Australia, New Zealand and now in Europe and China.

Wishing for something that may knock the heads off tall poppies to your satisfaction does not make the facts disputable, but thank you for the opportunity to debate.

[winner69]

I've always enjoyed reading Keith Woodford articles and blogs, esp on rural issues

http://keithwoodford.wordpress.com/

He has been a long time supporter of and expert on A2

[SwampRat]

Goats milk is (A2). Many people drink it because they have problems digesting (A1) cows milk and may switch to A2 as it's about half the price of goats milk (a quick check of an online NZ supermarket - goats milk $4.50 per litre, A2 $4.90 for 2 litres).

So it's not just cows milk drinkers that are a target for A2.

[iceman]

Crumbs this is getting good, should be all over prime time news next week the way it’s going. Campbell should like this one better than all that GSCB conspiracy rubbish he’s been running.

And to think, all Parmalat really have to do, is offer us all $5 per share, and there problem will just go away ?

Speak for yourself mate. I will not be gifting mine away like that

[GTM 3442]

Speak for yourself mate. I will not be gifting mine away like that

iceman, that's the New Zealand Way.

Parmalat will wait until the first set of bad news after which the share price will hit $0.65, then offer about $0.95/share.

There will then be an independent report explaining that this is a 40% premium to the current share price.

Many who have bought in at under $0.80 will accept.

A2 can then be added to the long list of New Zealand companies bought out for far less than their true value.

Sigh. . .

[stoploss]

This could help demand for infant formula ..

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news...ectid=11264148

[iceman]

Interesting reading albeit most of it has been canvassed on here before http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/ne...ectid=11264151

[airedale]

I see that Milford Asset Mngmt have just increased their holding. They partially sold down earlier this year to take profits but now they are back in again. They must see long term prospects from here.