Nordic Business Report-December 7, 2006-Hexagon AB subsidiary wins patent dispute in the US (C)1994-2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com The Swedish technology group Hexagon AB said on Thursday (7 December) that the jury in a federal court in San Diego, US, hearing the case of Hexagon owned ROMER Inc vs. FARO Technologies Inc, found unanimously in favour of ROMER that its patent is valid. The same nine-member jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on infringement, so the trial judge has ordered a new, shortened trial with a new jury to decide the issue of patent infringement. The new trial is scheduled to commence 3 April 2007. The patent dispute involves a key feature of articulated arm coordinate measurement machines, the ability to rotate the primary axis indefinitely without encountering a hard stop. The measurement devices are used by engineers to design and inspect a variety of manufactured products. ROMER Inc, and its subsidiary CimCore Corp, designs and manufactures portable coordinate measurement machines. Hexagon AB is a global technology group with strong market positions within measurement technologies, polymers and key components. The group has about 7,800 employees in 30 countries and net sales in the present organisation of more than SEK13bn. The company is listed on the Nordic Exchange in Stockholm. One British pound (GBP) is worth approximately 13.49 Swedish kronor (SEK). ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected]))