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Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tito L. Nisperos Jr. who wrote (37948)	10/7/2000 11:54:59 AM
From: Sun Tzu	Respond to of 70976

FYI -- DoJ Investigating AMAT SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the technology licensing practices of semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials Inc. (NasdaqNM:AMAT - news), the company said on Friday. In a statement, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company which generated $3.5 billion in sales in the first nine months of its current fiscal year, said it had been asked to supply documents related to licensing technology to other companies, a practice that makes up only a small part of its business. A company spokesman said Applied Materials was asked for documents ``recently,'' but declined to be more specific. He declined to elaborate further on exactly what the justice department is looking into. ``We don't know the specific reasons the inquiry was opened,'' said spokesman Jeffrey Lettes. Applied Materials said it believes its licensing practices are fully legal, and it will cooperate with the DOJ. ``This appears to be a routine inquiry into a small part of Applied Materials' business -- licensing of intellectual property, including patents,'' the company said. Indeed, Applied Materials' primary business is making equipment and providing services to companies that manufacture semiconductors used in computers and communication equipment. It uses most of its technology in its own products. The company's shares ended trading on the Nasdaq system up $1-1/16 at $54-3/16. The news announcement came after the market closed.