Ancestry.com Settles Lawsuit with OraSure Technologies Over DNA testing

Ancestry.com has agreed to pay OraSure Technologies and its DNA Genotek subsidiary $12.5 million to settle a lawsuit that alleged that Ancestry took DNA Genotek’s saliva sampling technology and improved upon it, without giving credit to DNA Genotek. According to the agreement, “Ancestry can continue using its version of the sampling technology, but must pay royalties to DNA Genotek. DNA Genotek will also receive access to patents involved with Ancestry.com’s version of the test, but without any royalties.

The following teaser is from an article posted February 6, 2017 at The Morning Call website:

BETHLEHEM — Genealogy website Ancestry.com has agreed to pay Bethlehem-based OraSure Technologies Inc. and its Canadian subsidiary DNA Genotek $12.5 million to settle claims it stole patented DNA testing technology to produce its own saliva-based DNA test.

DNA Genotek sued Ancestry.com in May 2015, alleging the website stole its technology for collecting DNA via saliva samples and improved upon it for its own use in violation of the terms of an agreement between the two companies. The website offers to trace users’ ethnic background using their DNA.

Ancestry.com, according to the lawsuit, purchased DNA Genotek saliva test kits in 2012 and 2013 in order to collect saliva samples from its customers, then filed for its own patent for an improved version of the device in 2013 without DNA Genotek’s consent.

Read the full article.

About Leland Meitzler

Leland K. Meitzler founded Heritage Quest in 1985, and has worked as Managing Editor of both Heritage Quest Magazine and The Genealogical Helper. He currently operates Family Roots Publishing Company (www.FamilyRootsPublishing.com), writes daily at GenealogyBlog.com, writes the weekly Genealogy Newsline, conducts the annual Salt Lake Christmas Tour to the Family History Library, and speaks nationally, having given over 2000 lectures since 1983.

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