STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Nov. 9, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Pergo and Unilin have reached an agreement to settle all outstanding issues relating to glue free laminate flooring joint systems.
The agreement recognizes both companies' patent rights for glue free joints and as a consequence the parties have agreed to remove existing legal actions against each other in the USA. The legal action of Unilin against Pergo relating to the SmartLock joint filed on June 22, 2004, and the legal action of Pergo against Shaw relating to the Uniclic system filed on June 24, 2002 will both be settled.
Unilin believes that this kind of agreement strengthens the patent position of both parties and creates new possibilities to further enforce these rights against unlicensed competitors.
"We see this as a very positive step which will allow both companies to focus on the business development and market activities," says Goran Bernhoff, CEO of the Pergo Group.
Trelleborg 2004-11-09 Pergo AB Corporate Communications
For further information, please contact:
Pergo CFO -- Staffan Soderqvist, phone number +46 410 36 31 00 SVP Technology & IP -- Diane Tate, phone number +46 410 36 31 00 Unilin Managing Director -- Frans De Cock, phone number +32 56 67 52 30
This is Pergo
Pergo is a leading flooring company with strong market positions, particularly in Europe and the U.S. Net sales amounted to MSEK 2,799 (3,194) in full-year 2003 and the number of employees was 795 (784) as at December 31, 2003. Pergo developed laminate flooring at the end of the 1970s and launched the product in Europe during the 1980s. The company started sales in the US in 1994 and later, to a smaller degree, in Asia in and Latin America. The company's products have been marketed under the Pergo(r) brand name since 1989. The company is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange's O-list. For further information about Pergo, please visit our homepage www.pergo.com.
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