Corning Grants Patent License to Hitachi-Maxell; BTG Facilitates Agreement.

CORNING, N.Y. -- Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) and Hitachi-Maxell, Ltd. announced today that they have entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement that will allow Hitachi-Maxell to utilize Corning's Precision Molded Optics (PMO) patents in the manufacture of aspheric glass lenses, such as those used in digital still cameras and other electronic products. Details of this agreement are not disclosed.

The licensing agreement was facilitated by BTG, the intellectual property and technology commercialization company. BTG represents Corning in its ongoing program to license its PMO Portfolio.

"Several companies - including Fuji, Tamron, NSG, and others, have already taken licenses to our PMO technology," commented Dr. Mark Newhouse, vice president, Strategic Growth at Corning. "This agreement with Hitachi-Maxell demonstrates our ongoing commitment to actively license our intellectual property portfolio." He added, "BTG has been an excellent partner in this effort and we look forward to continuing to work with BTG to commercialize this and other opportunities in our portfolio."

"We're pleased to be collaborating with Corning and look forward to facilitating additional licensing agreements based on their strong PMO patents," said Joe Chera, vice president of Technology Commercialization for BTG's Optoelectronics Business.

Corning's PMO process and intellectual property allows manufacturers to effectively meet the growing demand for molded glass aspheric lenses brought on by the rapid diffusion of digital cameras and camera phones.

About Corning Incorporated

Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) is a diversified technology company that concentrates its efforts on high-impact growth opportunities. Corning combines its expertise in specialty glass, ceramic materials, polymers and the manipulation of the properties of light, with strong process and manufacturing capabilities to develop, engineer and commercialize significant innovative products for the telecommunications, information display, environmental, semiconductor, and life sciences industries.

About Hitachi-Maxell

Hitachi Maxell Ltd is a key manufacturer of memory and mobile devices. Maxell's optical components boast the ultimate in optical design technology derived from the company's expertise in the production of lens barrels and lenses for film cameras and liquid crystal projectors. The company also has world-class plastic precision tool and precision molding technologies as a result of its experience in manufacturing optical discs. With the market for mobile communication devices incorporating digital cameras expected to grow ever further this year, the Maxell group will make full use of its technologies to offer unique, even more compact, high resolution products.

About BTG

BTG is an intellectual property and technology commercialization company that operates internationally. BTG creates value by investing in intellectual property and technology development, and in early stage ventures. We realize value through technology licensing, patent assertion, and sale of equity investments. Through a multidisciplinary approach, we apply intellectual property and commercial expertise, together with specialist skills in science and technology, to create major product opportunities in the health and high tech sectors. BTG has commercialized important innovations, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Multilevel Cell Memory, Campath(R) (alemtuzumab), the first monoclonal antibody treatment for chronic lymphocycstic leukemia, and recombinant Factor IX blood clotting protein. BTG operates through wholly owned subsidiaries BTG international Ltd. and BTG International Inc. in the UK and USA, respectively.