A Jury found that one obsolete product of Waters Corporation, formerly part of a large product line, infringed a patent held by Cohesive Technologies, Inc.
This one product, a column having dimensions of 1 mm by 50 mm and packed with 30 micron polymeric particles, was removed from the Waters Corporation product line, in the United States, prior to the trial and was replaced by a product with better performance. This new improved product is believed to be outside the scope of the Cohesive patent-in-suit, U.S. Patent 5,772,874. The jury also found the Cohesive patent was valid.
The European Patent Office had previously issued a decision revoking Cohesive's European Patent which is directed to substantially the same subject matter.
Waters Corporation is disappointed with the findings; however, such findings are not likely to have any material effect on the company's business. Waters Corporation intends to contest the findings vigorously through appeals to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.
Source: Waters Corporation