I've spent about an hour today researching on A2 Milk patents. I...

I've spent about an hour today researching on A2 Milk patents. I would strongly encourage you guys to do so as well. Go to Google Patent, then look for 'A2 Milk Corporation' or whatever keyword search that will lead you to A2 Milk Company.  

E.g. https://www.google.com.au/patents/U...ved=0CCMQ6AEwAWoVChMI89aCqoG-yAIVxOWmCh1PuQkt

https://www.google.com.au/patents/U...ved=0CDEQ6AEwA2oVChMI89aCqoG-yAIVxOWmCh1PuQkt

https://www.google.com.au/patents/U...ved=0CDgQ6AEwBGoVChMI89aCqoG-yAIVxOWmCh1PuQkt

https://www.google.com.au/patents/U...ved=0CD8Q6AEwBWoVChMI89aCqoG-yAIVxOWmCh1PuQkt

One thing that is interesting to note is that the methodology for identifying the A2 Milk Cows patent (Animal genotyping method)  was filed in May 2003, which means that A2 Milk company will have this patent reserved for them at least till 2023! This is another 8 years away!! The other companies won't have the cheap and fast way of determining which cows are A2-Only variant.  By 2023, A2 Milk will have the dominant market to produce A2-Only Protein milk and other competitors will struggle to enter the market.  

It's a very bad misconception out there that they will lose their patent rights soon. One thing to note as you look at their series of patents is that they've continuously filed more and more patents to protect against the expiration of their patents. E.g. for the patent "Breeding and milking cows for milk free of β-casein A1", they keep on extending this patent by including more and more information in the patent as they keep on researching on it, and as long as they are able to release information in bits and pieces, they should be able to protect their patent. The last grant of this patent as we can see is in 2009, which means that they should be able to hold it till 2029!!

The one that's going to expire this year is the 'Method of selecting non-diabetogenic milk or milk products and milk or milk products so selected' which was filed in Nov 1995. From my perspective, this is a non-event as this is not the key to how they could commercialise the A2-protein variant milk.

In short, A2 Milk Company has invested a lot of money into R&D and they will not easily let other competitors to enter the market.  Do your own research!