October 1, 2007

Bridgestone Sports Reaches Patent Settlement with Titleist

Tokyo, Japan — Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of golf balls, announced today that it reached a settlement and patent license agreement with The Acushnet Company, the maker of Titleist and Pinnacle golf balls. Under the terms of the agreement, Acushnet will pay Bridgestone a license fee that includes an on-going royalty for a license under certain of Bridgestone’s patents. The parties have also agreed to a non-royalty bearing cross-license of other patents held by each company. The agreement resolves all pending litigation in the United States between them. A related suit in Japan was not a part of this settlement and remains pending.

Commenting on the settlement, Bridgestone Sports' President Hisashi Kawano said, "We are very pleased to have reached a settlement agreement with Acushnet and to bring the U.S. litigation to an end. This agreement demonstrates the value of our technology and our Intellectual Property."

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Bridgestone Golf, Inc., based in Covington, GA, manufactures and markets premium golf balls, clubs and accessories under the Precept and Bridgestone brand names. Bridgestone is represented on a world stage by a number of internationally famed golfers including, Stuart Appleby, Fred Couples, Nick Price, Charles Howell III and Brandt Snedeker. Bridgestone Golf, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., whose headquarters are in Tokyo.

Contact Information:
Jared Kelowitz
jaredk@jdpr.com
JDPR, 864-233-3776 x 24