EOS WINS FIRST ROUND OF PATENT BATTLE

摘要

Electro Optical Systems GmbH (EOS) has won the first round of a complex 40 million dollars patent suit against 3D Systems Corp. The companies make systems that sinter plastics and metals into solid objects directly from computerized drawings. The lawsuit is unusual because EOS has held an exclusive, royalty-free license from 3D for laser sintering powders since August 1997. Since then, it has battled over the patent in Europe and Japan with DTM Corp., 3D's main competitor. Then, in August 2002, 3D merged with DTM and inherited the problem. 3D is now trying to assert DTM's patent rights against its own licensee. EOS charges that 3D has breached its 1997 contract, which calls for 3D to license all laser sintering patents to EOS on an exclusive basis. The latest ruling grows out of an EOS patent infringement lawsuit against DTM for an estimated 40 million dollars in damages since 1997. In a preliminary Markman hearing, the US District Court for the Central District of California ruled that DTM's Sinterstation and Vanguard laser sintering systems infringed on EOS patent rights.