3M Unitek announced today it has successfully resolved U.S. and French
patent lawsuits related to sales by RMO, Inc. (doing business as Rocky
Mountain Orthodontics) of customized lingual orthodontic brackets and
appliances manufactured by Lingualjet Orthodontics. The patent
litigation was settled in favor of 3M with a U.S. consent judgment and a
judicially recognized settlement in France, each acknowledging the
validity of the patents-in-suit for 3M™ Unitek™
Incognito™ Lingual Braces and infringement thereof by the
Lingualjet product.
For the life of the 3M patents, RMO will cease and permanently refrain
from making (or having made), using, importing, offering for sale or
selling anywhere the Lingualjet product and any other products or
systems that would infringe any of the patents-in-suit.
"We are pleased the U.S. court entered judgment finding our patent
rights on lingual braces to be valid, enforceable and infringed, and
that with the judgment, RMO has acknowledged our patent rights, and has
agreed to cease any further infringement for the life of the patents. We
look forward to continuing to bring innovation in orthodontics to our
customers," said Mary Jo Abler, President, 3M Unitek.
Incognito lingual braces address the demand for effective and invisible
orthodontic solutions. Placed on the backside of teeth, the Incognito™
Appliance System has been adopted to date by thousands of certified
doctors across 75 countries, due to its ability to deliver fully
customized treatment and a more precise finish than is delivered by
traditional lingual systems. At the same time, patients typically cite
improved self-confidence relatively early in treatment. More than
100,000 patients have benefited from Incognito appliance system
treatment.
About 3M Health Care
3M Health Care offers solutions in the medical, oral care, drug
delivery, food safety and health information markets. We have an
unparalleled ability to connect people, insights, science and technology
to think beyond today, solve problems, and make better health possible.
Our culture of collaboration empowers us to discover and deliver
practical, proven solutions that enable our customers to protect and
improve the health of people around the world. Learn more at 3M
Health Care.
About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of
ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a
never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M
is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion
in sales, 3M employs 88,000 people worldwide and has operations in more
than 70 countries.
3M, Incognito, and Unitek are trademarks of 3M.
