Heartland Food Products Group Supports U.S. Supreme Court Decision

Company Anticipates Decision Will Assist the Business Community Across the Country

News provided by

May 22, 2017, 18:10 ET

CARMEL, Ind., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Heartland Food Products Group (Heartland FPG), maker of America's number one sweetener, SPLENDA^® Brand Sweetener, applauds the Supreme Court's decision in the company's case against Kraft Foods. It restores and upholds patent venue protections which U.S. businesses had enjoyed for nearly a century between 1897 and 1990. Under today's decision, a U.S. corporate defendant cannot rightly be sued for alleged patent infringement except in a judicial district where the defendant is located or has a significant place of business.

"For decades, U.S. businesses have been unfairly required to defend patent suits in far off locales adding cost, complexity, and risk to the litigation process. The Supreme Court's decision changes that system for the better," said Ted Gelov, Heartland FPG CEO. "Heartland is proud to have contributed to the Supreme Court's evaluation of this landmark decision. This decision will limit venue-shopping in patent litigation and facilitate an equitable litigation landscape in the U.S.," said Bill O'Connor, Heartland Vice President and General Counsel.

About Heartland Food Products Group
Based outside of Indianapolis, Heartland Food Products Group is a global leader in the production of low-calorie sweetener products, creamers, beverage concentrates, coffee, and nutritional drinks. Visit Heartland at www.heartlandfpg.com. The SPLENDA^® Brand is the most recognizable and iconic low calorie sweetener ("LCS") brand in the world, having sold more than 100 billion yellow packets since its launch in 1992. Today, the SPLENDA^® Brand is the clear #1 LCS brand in the $72 billion global sweetener market with market shares that are more than twice those of its nearest competitor. Since the acquisition of the SPLENDA® Brand in 2015, Heartland Food Products Group has launched SPLENDA ZERO™ Liquid Sweetener and now SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener, expected to be the greatest innovation in the brand's history.

SOURCE Heartland Food Products Group