Permanent Injunction Against Camtek Upheld
Minneapolis, MN (July 29, 2010) – Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC) announced today that the United States District Court in Minneapolis has rejected requests to the Court made by Camtek, Ltd (NASDAQ: CAMT) and confirmed a jury verdict originally issued on March 5, 2009 which held that Camtek infringed Rudolph’s US Patent No. 6,826,298. The Judge’s ruling stated that Rudolph’s ‘6,298 patent is valid and that the jury’s finding of infringement and its award to Rudolph of lost profits plus interest (approximately $8.0 million) were supported by the evidence introduced at trial. The Court also confirmed the particulars of a permanent injunction entered against Camtek on August 28, 2009.
Camtek remains subject to the terms of the permanent injunction, which include:
- Camtek is prohibited from making, using, selling and offering to sell any of its Falcon machines in the U.S.
- Camtek is prohibited from communicating with third parties in the U.S. for the purposes of selling or offering to sell Falcon machines that are to be located or used in the U.S. or internationally.
- Camtek must state in marketing or advertising materials that the Falcon machine is not for sale or use in the U.S.
- Camtek cannot substantially improve or change the Falcon machines sold and delivered in the U.S. prior to March 5, 2009 (i.e. substantial software or hardware upgrades). Operator training for these systems is similarly prohibited.
- Camtek is also ordered to identify and secure all Falcon machines not yet shipped to U.S. customers that are currently located in the U.S.
Rudolph Technologies is a worldwide leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of high-performance process control metrology, defect inspection, data analysis systems and fabwide process control solutions used by semiconductor device manufacturers. Rudolph provides a full-fab solution through its families of proprietary products that provide critical yield-enhancing information, enabling microelectronic device manufacturers to drive down costs and time to market. The company has enhanced the competitiveness of its products in the marketplace by anticipating and addressing many emerging trends driving the semiconductor industry's growth. Rudolph’s strategy for continued technological and market leadership includes aggressive research and development of complementary metrology and inspection solutions. Headquartered in Flanders, New Jersey, Rudolph supports its customers with a worldwide sales and service organization. Additional information can be found on the company’s web site at www.rudolphtech.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) which include demand for Rudolph’s products, Rudolph’s existing market position and its ability to maintain and advance such position relative to its competitors and Rudolph’s expectations about our future bookings and backlog as well as other matters that are not purely historical data. Rudolph wishes to take advantage of the “safe harbor” provided for by the Act and cautions that actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of various factors, including risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Rudolph’s control. Such factors include, but are not limited to, delays in shipping products for technical performance, component supply or other reasons, the company’s ability to leverage its resources to improve its positions in its core markets and fluctuations in customer capital spending. Additional information and considerations regarding the risks faced by Rudolph are available in Rudolph’s Form 10-K report for the year ended December 31, 2009 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As the forward-looking statements are based on Rudolph’s current expectations, the company cannot guarantee any related future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Rudolph does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
Contacts:
Investors:
Steven R. Roth
973.448.4302
steven.roth@rudolphtech.com
Trade Press:
Virginia Becker
952.259.1647
virginia.becker@rudolphtech.com