On January 7, 2014, Merk Investments LLC was issued patent #8,626,641 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a "Deliverable commodity investment vehicle."
"Never before have investors been able to buy and own gold through an exchange traded product while being able to take delivery of gold in a form suitable for the individual. The U.S. patent office confirms what we do is truly new, innovative and worthy of patent protection. No one before has been able to combine the institutional and retail benefits of holding gold. The VanEck Merk Gold Trust opens a new interface between the institutional and retail world of owning gold." -- Axel Merk, President and Chief Investment Officer at Merk Investments.
From the patent description: "The invention relates generally to systems and methods for investing in commodities, and more specifically to commodity investment vehicles offering a conversion or delivery feature." Read more...