Charles & Colvard Announces U.S. Patent Office Upholds Patent after Re-Examination Request
Charles & Colvard Announces U.S. Patent Office Upholds Patent after Re-Examination Request
MORRISVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Charles & Colvard, Ltd. (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CTHR), the sole manufacturer of created moissanite gemstones, The Most Brilliant Jewel in the World®, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (the USPTO) upheld all claims under the Company's U.S. Patent No. 5,723,391 (the '391 Patent) covering its silicon carbide gemstones upon conclusion of an ex parte re-examination.
Throughout the ex parte re-examination process, the Company firmly believed that all of the claims of the '391 Patent were valid and enforceable. This successful re-confirmation of the Company's '391 Patent by the USPTO follows the determination by the Australian Patent Office earlier in May that the Company's Australian patent is both novel and inventive when faced with a similar ex parte re-examination.
Charles & Colvard is confident in the strength of its entire intellectual property portfolio and is committed to vigorously defending, maintaining, and strengthening the patents that protect its moissanite gemstones and technology.
About Charles & Colvard, Ltd.
Charles & Colvard, Ltd., based in the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina, is the global sole source of moissanite, a unique, near-colorless created gemstone that is distinct from other gemstones and jewels based on its exceptional fire, brilliance, luster, durability, and rarity. Charles & Colvard Created Moissanite® and Forever Brilliant® are currently incorporated into fine jewelry sold through domestic and international retailers and other sales channels. Charles & Colvard, Ltd. is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, and its common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "CTHR." For more information, please visit www.charlesandcolvard.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements expressing expectations regarding our future and projections relating to products, sales, revenues, and earnings are typical of such statements and are made under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, representations, and contentions and are not historical facts and typically are identified by use of terms such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "continue," and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.
All forward-looking statements are subject to the risks and uncertainties inherent in predicting the future. You should be aware that although the forward-looking statements included herein represent management's current judgment and expectations, our actual results may differ materially from those projected, stated, or implied in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors including, but not limited to, our dependence on consumer acceptance and growth of sales of our products resulting from our strategic initiatives; dependence on a limited number of customers; our current wholesale customers' potential perception of us as a competitor in the finished jewelry business; general economic and market conditions, including the current economic environment; dependence on Cree, Inc. as the current supplier of the raw material; intense competition in the worldwide jewelry industry; the financial condition of our major customers; risks of conducting business in foreign countries; the pricing of precious metals, which is beyond our control; the potential impact of seasonality on our business; our ability to protect our intellectual property; the risk of a failure of our information technology infrastructure to protect confidential information and prevent security breaches; and possible adverse effects of governmental regulation and oversight, in addition to the other risks and uncertainties described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 and subsequent reports filed with the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to update or revise such statements to reflect new circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur except as required by the federal securities laws, and you are urged to review and consider disclosures that we make in the reports that we file with the SEC that discuss other factors relevant to our business.
Company Contact:
Charles & Colvard
Timothy Krist
Chief Financial Officer
919-468-0399, ext. 295
tkrist@charlesandcolvard.com
or
Investor Relations:
Taglich Brothers, Inc.
Christopher Schreiber
Investor Relations Counsel
800-383-8464
cs@taglichbrothers.com
KEYWORDS: United States North America North Carolina
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