Nikon, ASML, Carl Zeiss Sign Deal To Settle All Litigation Over Patents

(RTTNews) - Japanese image and video equipment manufacturer Nikon Corp. (NINOF.PK, NINOY.PK) announced Wednesday that the company, ASML Holding N.V. (ASML) and Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH (CZMWF.PK) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding relating to a comprehensive settlement of all legal proceedings over patents for lithography equipment and digital cameras.

The Memorandum of Understanding or MoU is a binding agreement that concerns all pending disputes between Nikon, ASML and Zeiss in Europe, Japan and the United States, including at the U. S. International Trade Commission.

The three companies expect to execute a definitive settlement and cross-license agreement and dismiss all legal proceedings between the parties in February 2019.

The terms of the Memorandum include a payment to Nikon by ASML and Zeiss of a total of 150 million euros or approximately 19.0 billion Japanese Yen. Furthermore, the cross-license agreement contemplated by the Memorandum includes mutual royalty payments of 0.8% over the sales of immersion lithography systems for 10 years from the signature date of the parties' definitive agreement.