3D, SONY REACH AGREEMENT ON CROSS-LICENSING

From: Yakov Horenstein (yakov@planet.it)
Date: Sun May 31 1998 - 23:55:18 EEST


             3D, SONY REACH AGREEMENT ON CROSS-LICENSING OF PATENTS

                       (Los Angeles Daily News; 05/27/98)

   Heading off litigation, 3D Systems Corp. said Tuesday that Sony Corp.
has agreed to pay for past unauthorized use of its patents and pay
royalties for further use under a cross-licensing agreement that also
grants to 3D royalty- free rights to Sony's patents.

Under the agreement, Sony will pay royalties to use 3D's patents to produce
and sell stereolithography machines in the Asia-Pacific area, according to
a company announcement.

In return, 3D gets royalty-free use of Sony patents it already had been
using to produce and sell the machines, as well as 3D's Actua multijet
modeling machine, throughout the world.

"This was in lieu of litigation," 3D Vice President and General Counsel A.
Sidney Alpert said in a telephone interview.

The company makes equipment that uses digital computer input to make solid
objects. The technology is utilized in concept modeling, prototyping and
tooling.

3D also has a patent-infringement action against Teijin Seiki Corp. in
Japan, according to the company, whose technology is used in the
automotive, aerospace, medical, electronic and other industries.

"We intend to vigorously pursue infringers of our patents, not only in the
Asia-Pacific area, but on a worldwide basis," Alpert said in the company's
statement.

3D's stock closed Tuesday at 10 7/16, up 15/16.

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