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 Bridgestone and Precept brand names. Bridgestone is represented on a world stage by a number of internationally famed
golfers including
Fred Couples, Paula Creamer, Charles Howell III,
Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker.
Bridgestone Golf, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., whose headquarters are in Tokyo.