District Court Upholds Infringement Ruling Against Steag Microtech -- Permanent Injunction Against Steag Remains in Place
EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 9, 1999--CFM Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:CFMT - news) today announced that The United States District Court for the District of Delaware has granted CFM's motion upholding the June 18, 1998 judgment finding Steag guilty of willful infringement of CFM's United States Patent No. 4,911,761 and has denied Steag's motion to vacate the injunction and the damages award.
In a twenty-five page opinion, the Court held that substantial evidence was presented at trial to support the jury's finding of literal infringement. The court further found that expert evidence was presented to show that 2.5% isopropanol alcohol (IPA) is a significant amount of vapor, and that the reduced concentration of IPA vapor in the Steag device is sufficient to perform a replacement of the water.
``This ruling once again affirms the jury's judgment that CFM's patent covering its Direct Displacement(TM) drying technology was willfully infringed by Steag Microtech,' said Roger A. Carolin, President and Chief Executive Officer. ``We are pleased that the Court has not wavered in its judgment on this matter, and we will not waver in our determination to protect our rights to this technology. The Appellate Court indicated in its remand that it believed the district court was in the best position to decide this matter. So, while Steag may elect to take this one narrow issue back to the Appellate Court for another review, we believe it is highly unlikely that such an appeal will change the outcome of this case. While we hope that Steag will reach a similar conclusion and put an end to further wasteful litigation, we remain fully committed to taking every step necessary to protect the Company's rights.'
At the conclusion of the trial in December, 1997, CFM was awarded damages of $3.1 million. Since that time, the amount of damages has increased as a result of post-trial, pre injunction infringing product shipments by Steag and continuing accrual of interest.
The discussion above includes certain forward-looking statements with regard to the outcome of pending patent litigation. As such, actual results may vary materially from such expectations. CFM believes that it will prevail in the legal proceedings described above; however, there can be no assurance of such outcome, and an adverse determination in this proceeding could have a material adverse effect on the Company.
CFM Technologies, Inc. is leading manufacturer of advanced cleaning equipment for the semiconductor industry. Its systems provide superior contamination control and processing capabilities using a totally enclosed processing chamber. Watermarks and other drying defects are eliminated through CFM's Direct-DisplaceTM IPA vapor drying technology. CFM historically has invested in technical innovations to lower cost of ownership.
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Contact:
Jeff Randall
Chief Financial Officer
CFM Technologies, Inc.
610-280-8509
OR
Michele Katz/Michael Polyviou
Elric Martinez
Morgen-Walke Associates
Press: Rob Ingram/Amy Sikorski
212-850-5600 |
