Cooper Companies\' German Distributor to Resume Sale of Cosmetic Lenses as Court Finds CIBA Vision Patent Invalid in Germany

Cooper Companies\' German Distributor to Resume Sale of Cosmetic Lenses as Court Finds CIBA Vision Patent Invalid in Germany

Jul 12, 2001

Cooper Companies\' German Distributor to Resume Sale of Cosmetic Lenses as Court Finds CIBA Vision Patent Invalid in Germany

Business Wire
July 12, 2001 12:20pm

Business Editors and Health/Medical Writers

LAKE FOREST, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--July 12, 2001--The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE:COO) said today that the Munich Patent Court had issued a judgment against Pilkington Barnes Hind, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CIBA Vision, in proceedings brought by Cooper\'s CL Tinters OY unit and Bach Optic GmbH, CL Tinters\' German distributor. The court, citing existing prior art in the field, found the European Rawlings patent invalid in Germany and lifted the order restraining the sale of CL Tinters\' Images? brand of cosmetic colored contact lenses entered last September.

The Rawlings patent and the Images? contact lenses are not currently the subject of any other litigation between the companies. CIBA Vision is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Novartis AG.

--30--KT/np*    JE/np

CONTACT:  The Cooper Companies, Inc.

Norris Battin, ir@coopercompanies.com