Korean Patent Court Reverses Korean Intellectual Property Office Ruling on Certain Claims of Two FormFactor Patents
October 27, 2005
October 27, 2005
Ruling does not apply to other FormFactor Korea Patents asserted against Phicom or to US Patents
LIVERMORE, Calif. – Oct. 27, 2005 – FormFactor, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORM), announced the Korean Patent Court issued an oral ruling holding invalid certain claims of two of four Korean Patents asserted by FormFactor against Phicom Corporation. Following normal practice, the basis for the ruling was not given and a written opinion explaining the ruling would typically be expected in one to three weeks. FormFactor is asserting against Phicom two other Korean Patents that the Korean Intellectual Property Office has confirmed valid over Phicom’s challenges, which Phicom has appealed. These two patents are not affected by today’s Patent Court ruling. FormFactor’s issued U.S. patents, including the four patents that the Company is asserting against Phicom in federal court in Oregon are also not affected by the Patent Court decision.
“Today’s ruling by the Korean Patent Court is one event in the course of a comprehensive litigation in multiple jurisdictions involving multiple patents,” said Stuart Merkadeau, FormFactor’s senior vice president and general counsel. “We are awaiting the written decision from the Patent Court to understand and evaluate the substantive merits of the ruling and to finalize plans for an appeal. We have two other Korean patents we are asserting against Phicom and are moving forward aggressively with the US litigation. We remain confident in the strength of our global patent portfolio.”