3M announced today that 3M and 3M Innovative Properties Co. have concluded a settlement of the patent infringement suit filed in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis in November 2004 against Louis M. Gerson Co., a supplier of disposable products for the safety, automotive, medical and consumer markets.

The suit alleged that Gerson's activity relating to the making, using, selling, and/or offering for sale in the United States of "the Gerson Paint System" infringed a 3M patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,820,824) covering its innovative 3M paint preparation system used in preparing and spraying refinish material.

In the settlement, Gerson has admitted that the 3M '824 patent is valid and enforceable, and that the initial design of its paint system infringes the patent. Gerson has agreed to refrain from making or selling the initial design of its paint system in the United States (or in other countries in which 3M has counterpart patent protection). Gerson has developed a new design paint system, and 3M has agreed not to sue Gerson under the '824 patent with respect to that particular design. As part of this settlement, a lawsuit brought by Gerson against 3M in the U.S. District Court in Boston Nov. 10, 2004, seeking a declaration of noninfringement as to certain 3M patents, will be dismissed.

The suit and resolution are in accordance with 3M's corporate intellectual property policy for the protection of its substantial investment in research and development by obtaining, maintaining and enforcing patent, copyright, trade secret and similar rights in inventions or works of authorship resulting from research and development.

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