Agilent and Waters Settle UK HPLC Dispute
Milford, MA-Waters announced that is has wntered ito a settlement agreement with Agilent Technologies Deutshland GmbH to settle a UK case that found that a portion of the pump technology used in Waters’ Alliance HPLC Instruments infringed on Agilent patent. Waters will make a ₤3.5 million ($6.1 million) payment to Agilent and, as a result, has revised its fourth quarter and 2005 results to include a pre-tax $3.1 million provision for damaged and estimated remaining costs related to the matter. The charge reduces GAAP earnings per share for the fourth quarter by 3 cents to $0.69 and full year EPS by 2 cents to $1.74. Waters discontinued the use of the technology in 2002. Cases bought by Agilent against Waters for similar patent infringements are still pending in France and Germany.