VALENCIA, Calif., Oct. 2, 2002 -
3D Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: TDSC) today announced it has reached an agreement with Sanders Design International, Inc. (SDI) of Wilton, NH, to settle a patent infringement suit that was pending in U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire. Under the terms of the settlement, 3D Systems licensed to SDI the Helinski patent, U.S. Patent No. 5,136,515 to which 3D Systems obtained an exclusive license with enforcement rights earlier this year.
According to the settlement, all parties agreed that the Helinski patent was valid and had been infringed by SDI and entered a consent judgement to that effect. SDI will pay for past infringement for all machines manufactured or in production as of the date of the settlement agreement and will pay to 3D Systems a running royalty of 6% for all future systems manufactured under the patent and for all consumables hereafter sold for use in its machines.
“While all parties agree that the patent was infringed, we felt that it was the best business decision for all parties to grant SDI a license to the patent,” said Brian K. Service, 3D Systems’ Chief Executive Officer. “SDI has created a profitable business and by granting the license to the patent, we continue to expand industry utilization of solid imaging technologies.”
The license granted to SDI shall be non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sub-licensable, and SDI does not have the right to have the machines manufactured for it by others. 3D Systems and SDI have agreed to dismiss with prejudice the pending suit and all claims and counterclaims contained within the pending suit.
Sanders Design International, Inc. is a privately held firm founded in 1982 and headquartered in Wilton, NH. Its machines utilize multiple ink jets to deposit layers of two different materials (a support material and a building material) to build three dimensional parts. After the build is complete, the support material is removed, leaving the finished part ready for use. The Helsinki patent is a basic patent for the concurrent ink jetting of two materials to build three-dimensional objects.
About 3D Systems
Founded in 1986, 3D Systems, the solid imaging companySM, provides solid imaging products and solutions to reduce the time and cost of designing products and facilitate direct and indirect manufacturing. Its systems utilize patented technologies to create physical objects from digital input used for design communication, prototyping and functional end-use parts.
3D Systems currently offers the ThermoJet® solid object printer, SLA® (stereolithography), SLS® (selective laser sintering) systems, and Accura™ materials (includes; photopolymers, metals, nylons, engineering plastics, and thermoplastics).
Product pricing in the U.S. ranges from $49,995, for the ThermoJet printer, to $799,000 for the high-end SLA 7000 system. 3D Systems multiple platform product line enables companies to choose the most appropriate systems for applications ranging from the creation of design communication models to prototypes to production parts. More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com, or by phoning 888/337-9786, extension 811, or 661/295-5600 internationally. An investor packet can be obtained by calling 800/757-1799.
3D Systems is the originator of the ADM (Advanced Digital ManufacturingSM) solution for manufacturing applications. ADM is the utilization of 3D Systems solid imaging technologies to accelerate production of smaller volumes of customized/specialized parts. A typical ADM center is expected to contain multiple 3D Systems SLA, MJM and SLS systems dedicated to full time manufacturing applications.
Note to editors: Advanced Digital Manufacturing and the solid imaging company are service marks, si2 and Accura are trademarks; and ThermoJet, SLA, SLS and the 3D logo are registered trademarks of 3D Systems Inc.
Certain statements in this news release may include forward-looking statements that express the expectation, prediction, belief or projection of 3D Systems. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance and achievement of 3D Systems to be materially and adversely different from any future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements contained in this release and that may affect the company’s prospects in general include, but are not limited to:
the funding of amounts of capital adequate to provide for the working capital needs of the company; actions of competitors and customers; the company’s ability to successfully design and produce new products, customer acceptance of new products; the company’s ability to enter into successful relationships with new customers to fully exploit its products, the ability to successfully implement all elements of our restructuring and cost savings program, and such other factors as are described in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements.
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