DENTSPLY International Inc. makes announcement.YORK, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 28, 1996--DENTSPLY International Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :XRAY) Tuesday announced that it has filed suit in U.S. District Court in Delaware against New Technology Company (a.k.a. NT Company) and Tycom Corp. for 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. and trade secret and misappropriation misappropriation n. the intentional, illegal use of the property or funds of another person for one's own use or other unauthorized purpose, particularly by a public official, a trustee of a trust, an executor or administrator of a dead person's estate, or by any . Further, DENTSPLY maintains that NT Company and Tycom have willfully willfully adv. referring to doing something intentionally, purposefully and stubbornly. Examples: "He drove the car willfully into the crowd on the sidewalk." "She willfully left the dangerous substances on the property." (See: willful) and deliberately infringed U.S. Patents 4,934,934 and 5,464,362; and, have used trade secrets and other confidential information in its manufacture and sale of endodontic Endodontic Pertaining to the inside structures of the tooth, including the dental pulp and tooth root, and the periapical tissue surrounding the root. Mentioned in: Root Canal Treatment endodontic instruments marketed under various trade names. The suit seeks a permanent injunction permanent injunction n. a final order of a court that a person or entity refrain from certain activities permanently or take certain actions (usually to correct a nuisance) until completed. , damages including lost profits and treble damages A recovery of three times the amount of actual financial losses suffered which is provided by statute for certain kinds of cases. The statute authorizing treble damages directs the judge to multiply by three the amount of monetary damages awarded by the jury in those cases , and restitution for court costs court costs n. fees for expenses that the courts pass on to attorneys, who then pass them on to their clients or, in some kinds of cases, to the losing party. and legal fees. DENTSPLY's patents, obtained with the acquisition of Tulsa Dental Products in January 1996, specifically protect its market-leading ProFile(R) endodontic products. This state-of-the-art line of endodontic instruments, both hand and engine driven, features nickel titanium, .04 and other non-standard tapers as well as standard tapers and various patented flute designs. Tulsa Dental is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DENTSPLY and a leading innovator in the development of endodontic materials and instruments with other innovative product lines including the Thermafil(R) endodontic product line. Commenting on the action, John C. Miles II, DENTSPLY president and chief executive officer, said, "The company intends to vigorously assert its patents and will aggressively pursue any patent infringement and unfair trade practices that challenge Tulsa Dental Products' legally-protected and well-accepted product lines." DENTSPLY designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of products for the dental market. The company believes that it is the world's leading manufacturer and distributor of artificial teeth, endodontic instruments and materials, impression materials, prophylaxis paste, dental sealants, ultrasonic scalers, and crown and bridge materials; the leading United States manufacturer and distributor of dental x-ray equipment, dental handpieces, dental x-ray film holders and film mounts; and a leading United States distributor of dental cutting instruments and dental implants. The company distributes its dental products in over 100 countries under some of the most well-established brand names in the industry. DENTSPLY is committed to the development of innovative, high quality, cost-effective new products for the dental market. CONTACT: DENTSPLY International Inc., York J. Patrick Clark, VP & general counsel, 717/849-4415 |
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