Bausch & Lomb Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Maui Jim.

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 1999--

-- Maui Jim, Inc. charged with producing a knockoff version of

the Ray-Ban(R) Predator(R) 2 sunglasses, made popular

worldwide by the Hollywood movie blockbuster "Men In Black"

-- B&L wants Maui Jim to permanently halt all production of its

Typhoon sunglasses and pay the global eye-care company damages

for the infringement

Bausch & Lomb (NYSE:BOL) is suing upstart sunglasses maker Maui Jim for patent infringement of its world famous Ray-Ban(R) Predator(R) 2 sunglasses, which were featured in the 1997 Hollywood blockbuster movie "Men In Black," starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.

"We invest significant resources into bringing leading technology and trend-setting design together to create sunglasses worthy of bearing the Ray-Ban brand," said David G. Whalen, corporate vice president and president of Bausch & Lomb's North American Eyewear division. "We will vigorously fight to protect that investment, to maintain the integrity of the product and the equity we've built in the brand."

The complaint, which was filed last Friday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, charges Peoria, Illinois-based Maui Jim with intentionally copying the Ray-Ban Predator 2 sunglasses and selling them under the name Typhoon. Bausch & Lomb is asking the court to order Maui Jim to terminate all production and sale of Typhoon and to adequately compensate Bausch & Lomb for damages caused by the infringement.

Bausch & Lomb Incorporated is the global technology-based healthcare company for the eye, dedicated to helping consumers see, look and feel better through innovative technology and design. Its core businesses include soft and rigid gas permeable contact lenses, lens-care products, ophthalmic surgical and pharmaceutical products. The company is advantaged with some of the most respected brands in the world starting with its name, Bausch & Lomb(R), and including SofLens66(TM), PureVision(TM) Boston(R), ReNu(R), and Storz(R). Founded in 1853 in Rochester, N.Y., where it continues to have its headquarters, the company has annual revenues of more than $2 billion and employs approximately 15,000 people in 35 countries. Bausch & Lomb products are available in more than 100 countries around the world.