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11 July 2002
Scipher appointed to license Seagate patents
Scipher plc ("Scipher") the technology development and licensing
company today announces that its US patent licensing arm, Fairfield Resources
International, Inc. ("FRI") has secured an agreement to work with Seagate
Technology LLC ("Seagate"), a world-leading manufacturer of data storage
disc drives, to evaluate and to license technologies within its patent portfolio.
Scipher acquired FRI in December 2001 to complement its patent licensing arm,
QED. The deal with Seagate is the largest IP management and licensing agreement
that Scipher's patent licensing operation has won in the US, giving it worldwide
rights to license selected Seagate patents, supplementing Seagate's normal licensing
programmes. QED and FRI, will seek licensees for identified technologies on behalf
of Seagate under revenue sharing agreements.
Seagate's patent portfolio comprises over 1800 US patents and corresponding
international patents, with over 350 new US patents being issued each year. The
portfolio includes patents in numerous technologies deriving from Seagate's research
and development investments in support of its leading position as a provider of
data storage products. Within the portfolio are valuable inventions applicable
to many other technology areas, such as bearings, lubricants, motors, sensors,
acoustics and vibration control, along with related manufacturing and control
technologies.
Dr. Nick Weisensel, Head of Intellectual Property Licensing and Analysis for
Seagate said: "We have chosen FRI as a partner in this area because of the
experience and reputation that both they and Scipher have in this field, and for
their professional and disciplined approach to managing and licensing technology."
Dr Ken Gray, Chairman of Scipher, said: "We are delighted to have been
selected to assist Seagate extend their licensing strategy and will be drawing
on our expertise through our offices in the US, Europe and Japan in carrying out
this programme."
Scipher, through QED and FRI, is currently working with many leading companies
to create value from their IP including Boeing, British Telecommunications, Deutsche
Telekom, Kimberley-Clark, Praxair, Siemens, Royal KPN NV, Toyota Central Research
and Development Laboratories, Telstra, Fuji Photo, and Unilever.
Enquiries:
Scipher plc:
Michael Kendon, Investor Relations 020 8848 6444
Financial Dynamics:
James Melville-Ross 020 7831 3113
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
About Scipher
Scipher plc is the largest technology development and licensing company of
its type in Europe. Scipher delivers value from intellectual property ("IP")
in two principal ways:
- It commercialises patent-protected products developed by its own R&D resources,
through licensing or sale to high-growth markets around the world
- Using its extensive expertise in IP management it creates value from clients'
IP assets by providing a complete license revenue generating service.
Scipher's impressive portfolio of advanced technology products and know-how
covers the markets for Secure Identification, 3D Sound, Displays, Communications
and Sensors. Almost two-thirds of Scipher's revenues are earned outside the UK
in over 50 countries.
Scipher is backed by more than 70 years in advanced R&D including developments
of such historic importance as stereo recording, television broadcasting and the
medical CT scanner, which won a Nobel Prize for its inventor. Scipher's continuing
tradition of technological achievement has been recognised most recently by the
2001 MacRobert Award, the highest UK accolade for innovation, awarded for Scipher's
outstanding 3D Sound technology.
Scipher is traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:SIP) and is a constituent
of the TechMark 100 index. For further information visit the website: www.scipher.com
About Seagate
Founded in 1979, Seagate is currently the world's largest manufacturer of disc
drives, magnetic discs and read-write heads, and is a leader in Storage Area Network
(SAN) solutions. Seagate is the market leader in each of the segments in which
it competes, providing a broad range of disc drives in capacities ranging from
20 gigabytes to an industry-leading 180 gigabytes. This comprehensive line of
disc drives includes products for the desktop PC market, Consumer Electronics
market, higher performance PC and workstation drives, and higher-capacity drives
for the storage and performance-intensive network server, disc array, audio-visual
(A/V) and. For further information visit www.seagate.com
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