Oxford Nanopore Technologies, a UK-based DNA and RNA sequencing company, announced Tuesday its intent to sue BGI Group and its subsidiaries for alleged breaches of contract and potential patent infringements.
The company has filed a subpoena application in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeking to serve Complete Genomics Inc, Innomics Inc, MGI Americas Inc, and others affiliated with BGI.
Oxford Nanopore stated it plans to pursue legal action against BGI Tech Solutions, BGI Group (formerly Beijing Genomics Institute), MGI Holdings, and MGI Tech Co. These claims involve alleged breaches of contractual obligations, violations of trade secret protections under the Trade Secrets (Enforcement, etc.) Regulations 2018, and claims regarding patent license entitlements.
The case draws on the European Union’s Directive (EU) 2016/943, which protects confidential business information from unlawful acquisition, use, or disclosure.
Oxford Nanopore also expressed concerns about BGI’s nanopore-based sequencing technology, suggesting it may infringe on their intellectual property rights if used in commercial products globally.