Interpore picks up $15M in patent infringement settlement
Johnson & Johnson pays after alleged patent infringement
Industry: Medical
Defendant: Interpore International
Plaintiff: Johnson & Johnson
Jurisdiction:
Result: Settlement $15 Million
Source: “Johnson & Johnson Settles Patent Suit for $15 Million, ” New York Times, January 28, 2003; “Biomet Inc.: Interpore Purchase Offers Heft In Market for Spinal Implants,” Wall Street Journal, March 9, 2004.
A subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $15 million in patent infringement damages to Interpore International after Interpore claimed the subsidiary infringed on a patent for a screw used in spinal implants. Johnson & Johnson also agreed to pay future royalties to Interpore to settle the alleged infringement.
More than a year after the settlement, Biomet Inc. purchased Interpore for $280 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. Johnson & Johnson says it operates more than 250 companies and employs 121,000 people worldwide. According to its Web site, Johnson & Johnson’s worldwide sales in 2006 were $53.3 billion.
Tara's Take
Hidden enemies? Interpore undertook an intellectual property case against a subsidiary of a giant like Johnson & Johnson… and lived to tell the tale.
