Corning, Fibercore Settle Patent Dispute

Corning Inc. of Corning, N.Y., announced that it has settled the patent infringement suit it had filed against Fibercore Ltd. of Southampton, UK. The companies signed a consent judgment in which Fibercore admitted infringing upon Corning's patent relating to polarization-maintaining optical fiber. Corning agreed to license its HiBi polarization-maintaining fiber to Fibercore.

The suit, which was filed in December 1998, also included a claim that Fibercore had infringed upon Corning's patent relating to P₂O₅- and GeO₂-doped fiber, but the companies agreed that Fibercore had not. Under the judgment, Corning licensed its phosphorus-doped fiber to Fibercore as well. Other terms were undisclosed.

Gerald Fine, vice president and general manager of Corning's Photonic Technologies Div., expressed satisfaction with the settlement and added that the company would continue to protect its intellectual property.