In Brief: Allergan v. Staar Surgical
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Allergan v. Staar Surgical: Allergan reports June 16 that a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has determined that Microtech and Allergan are the "owner and exclusive licensee, respectively" of U.S. patent No. 4,681,102, which covers the "Bartell Shooter" instrument and a method for inserting intraocular lenses into the eye during cataract surgical procedures. Allergan filed suit in November 1992 seeking "injunctive relief and compensatory and treble damages resulting from willful infringement" by Staar, which claimed ownership of the patent ("The Gray Sheet" Nov. 30, 1992, p. 16). The jury found that neither Staar nor Chiron, which has a sublicense to the patent from Staar, has any rights to the Bartell invention. "As a result of this verdict, we intend to vigorously pursue our claims of willful infringement against Staar and Chiron," Allergan says...