Applied Biosystems and Agilent Settle Patent Suits
The Stratagene products targeted by the law suits were the Mx4000 and Mx3000P instruments and related reagents. The US suit also named Bio-Rad Laboratories and MJ Research as defendants: Bio-Rad settled the case last year (see IBO 2/15/06).
Foster City, CA and Santa Clara, CA 9/18/07—Applera, Applied Biosystems’ parent company, and Agilent Technologies have entered a settlement agreement, resolving Applera’s patent infringement suits in multiple countries against Stratagene, which Agilent acquired in June (see IBO 4/15/07). Agilent agreed to license certain Applera technology for real-time thermal cycler instruments in research-related fields, excluding human in vitro diagnostics. Agilent also agreed to license PCR and real-time enzyme and kit technology. The lawsuits concerned US Patent No. 6,814,934 (EP patent No. 0 872 562), which is related to real-time PCR technology. According to Applied Biosystems, the lawsuits had resulted in injunctions in Germany and the Netherlands and were pending in the US and France.
