Bausch & Lomb Responds to Filing Of Patent Infringement Lawsuit in Ireland.Business Editors ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2003 Bausch & Lomb today issued the following statement in response to the filing of a patent infringement patent infringement n. the manufacture and/or use of an invention or improvement for which someone else owns a patent issued by the government, without obtaining permission of the owner of the patent by contract, license or waiver. lawsuit in Ireland by Novartis AG Novartis AG Swiss pharmaceutical company. It was formed through the 1996 merger of two Swiss firms: Ciba (see Ciba-Geigy) and Sandoz, a chemical company with interests in pharmaceuticals, nutrition, and agriculture. alleging that Bausch & Lomb PureVision(TM) contact lenses contact lenses contact npl → verres mpl de contact contact lenses contact npl → Kontaktlinsen pl contact lenses npl infringe an Irish patent held by Novartis AG. This is just another part of the long worldwide battle between Bausch & Lomb and Ciba Vision, a unit of Novartis, over patent rights covering silicone hydrogel hy·dro·gel n. A colloidal gel in which the particles are dispersed in water. hydrogel a gel that contains water. hydrogel Wound care A polymer absorptive wound dressing. See Dressing. extended wear contact lens contact lens, thin plastic lens worn between the eye and eyelid that may be used instead of eyeglasses. Actors, models, and others wear them for appearance, and athletes use them for safety and convenience. technology. In the Ireland litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. - as in other cases - Bausch & Lomb will vigorously defend its belief that the Company's PureVision lens technology is unique and does not infringe the patent in question. Bausch & Lomb Incorporated is the preeminent 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 SofLens(TM), PureVision(TM), Boston(R), ReNu(R), Storz(R) and Technolas(TM). Founded in 1853 in Rochester, N.Y., where it continues to have its headquarters, the Company has annual revenues of approximately $1.8 billion and employs approximately 11,500 people in more than 50 countries. Bausch & Lomb products are available in more than 100 countries around the world. More information about the Company can be found on the Bausch & Lomb web site at www.bausch.com. Copyright Bausch & Lomb. This news release contains, among other things, certain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events or the future business performance of Bausch & Lomb. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties including those concerning the outcome of litigation as well as the risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's SEC filings, including but not limited to the Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. for the quarter ended September 28, 2002. |
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