DuPont Settles with Cortron on Cyrel® FAST Thermal Platemaking Patent Technology

Cortron Agrees to Cease Manufacturing or Supporting MacDermid Lava Processors


Wilmington, Del., July 30, 2008 - DuPont today announced it has reached an agreement with Cortron Corporation to settle a patent infringement case involving DuPont’s award-winning DuPont™ Cyrel® FAST thermal flexographic printing plate technology.


Under the terms of the agreement, Cortron, based in Minnesota, agrees to immediately cease manufacturing LAVA thermal flexographic printing plate processors, as well as to immediately discontinue providing all service, spare parts, and technical support for any LAVA equipment used to thermally develop flexographic printing plates. Thermal processing equipment manufactured by Cortron has been marketed and sold by MacDermid Printing Solutions, LLC under the LAVA trade name.


“At DuPont, we take the matter of intellectual property and the value of our patents very seriously. If we believe our patents are being infringed, we will protect them vigorously,” said Linda B. West, vice president and general manager -- DuPont Imaging Technologies. “We must protect our investment in Cyrel® FAST technology if we are to continue to invest in sustainable innovations for the packaging industry. We are pleased that Cortron promptly agreed to stop manufacturing the current LAVA thermal processing equipment for MacDermid after DuPont notified Cortron that the equipment infringes one of DuPont’s patents.”


In May 2008, DuPont won an important appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in a patent infringement lawsuit against MacDermid Printing Solutions, LLC. The appeals court upheld the lower court’s determination “that MacDermid did not dispute infringement” of DuPont’s patent covering thermally developed flexographic printing plates. It further noted that “[t]he lower court correctly ruled that DuPont had shown a reasonable likelihood that MacDermid infringes one of DuPont’s patents.” The ruling advanced DuPont’s efforts to enforce certain of its patents protecting its award-winning Cyrel® FAST thermal flexographic technology.


DuPont™ Cyrel® FAST is part of DuPont Imaging Technologies, which provides products for industrial print markets, commercial graphics, textile printing, packaging graphics, signage and electronic displays. The patented DuPont™ Cyrel® FAST technology is used to print high-quality color graphics on a variety of packaging materials such as paper, paperboard, foil, corrugated board, freezer bags and plastic film.


DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.


7/30/08


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