PhotoScribe Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer of diamond laser inscription equipment, said Thursday that it has prevailed in a patent infringement lawsuit brought against it and the Gemological Institute of America by diamond manufacturer and distributor Lazare Kaplan International.

On March 7, following a two-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, a jury rendered a unanimous verdict finding that PhotoScribe and GIA do not infringe on any of the 10 patent claims asserted by Lazare Kaplan. Lazare Kaplan had alleged infringement of two patents, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,476,351 and 7,010,938 with respect to diamond laser inscription equipment and methods.  Additionally, the jury invalidated one of the claims of the 351 Lazare Kaplan patent.   

This verdict resolves patent infringement issues first initiated by Lazare Kaplan against PhotoScribe in May of 2006 and against GIA in July of 2007. Issues with respect to the enforceability of Lazare Kaplan’s patents remain outstanding.

“We are very pleased with the jury’s verdict,” said David Benderly, PhotoScribe president and chief executive officer. “Since we were sued almost two years ago, PhotoScribe’s position has always been that Lazare Kaplan’s lawsuit is totally without merit. Our position has now been validated, and we can focus our energy on selling our diamond laser inscription equipment instead of defending against lawsuits.”
 
PhotoScribe Technologies, headquartered in New York City, was established in 1998. The company holds seven patents relating to diamond marking.

In addition to manufacturing diamond laser inscription equipment for the jewelry industry, its precision marking technology is used in the fields of aerospace, biotech, medical, optical, ophthalmology, fiber optics, electronics, semi conductors, and MEMS (micro electrical mechanical systems).

JCK