Markforged Announces Settlement In IP Litigation
23 September 2024 - 2:30PM
Markforged Holding Corporation (NYSE: MKFG), the company
strengthening manufacturing resiliency by enabling industrial
production at the point of need, today announced that it has
entered into a Settlement and Patent License Agreement (the
“Settlement Agreement”) in connection with the patent infringement
litigation brought by Continuous Composites Inc. (“Continuous
Composites”). The Settlement Agreement resolves all claims and
counterclaims in this litigation, which is currently pending before
the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (the
“District Court”).
As previously disclosed in our public filings, in July 2021,
Continuous Composites filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against
Markforged. Four patents originally asserted against Markforged,
comprising a total of nineteen patent claims, were removed from the
case in April 2023, leaving four claims from a patent that was
added to the case in 2022. Two of the four claims from the
remaining patent were tried to a jury in April 2024. On April 11,
2024, the jury found one of the two remaining patent claims
Continuous Composites asserted at trial against us to be invalid
and not infringed. However, the jury found that we had infringed
the other patent claim and awarded monetary damages to Continuous
Composites in the amount of $17.34 million. We challenged this
verdict through post-trial motions. Through its post-trial motions,
Continuous Composites also asserted claims for additional royalty
payments for sales of certain products manufactured and/or sold by
Markforged in the United States after December 31, 2023.
Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, Markforged will
make an upfront payment of $18 million to Continuous Composites,
which is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of fiscal year
2024, and three additional installment payments thereafter of $1
million, $2 million and $4 million in the fourth quarters of fiscal
years 2025, 2026 and 2027, respectively. In consideration of such
payments, the Settlement Agreement provides for a dismissal of all
claims with prejudice, cross-licenses of the parties’ respective
patent portfolios, a mutual release of claims for liabilities
arising prior to the effective date of the Settlement Agreement and
mutual covenants not to sue. As a condition to the effectiveness of
the Settlement Agreement, the Company also entered into a Security
Agreement with Continuous Composites pursuant to which the Company
granted Continuous Composites a security interest in, among other
assets, Markforged’s patent intellectual property rights. The
Settlement Agreement acknowledges that neither party admitted to
any liability or wrongdoing with respect to the claims alleged in
the Continuous Composites Lawsuit.
The Settlement Agreement also requires the parties to file a
joint dismissal of the dispute with prejudice with the District
Court to dismiss all claims and counterclaims with prejudice. The
Settlement Agreement is subject to review by the District
Court.
“We are pleased to announce this Settlement Agreement which, if
approved by the District Court, will bring this litigation to a
successful conclusion that will eliminate this distraction to
Markforged and the uncertainty over the outcome of this litigation
for all of our stakeholders,” commented Shai Terem, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Markforged. “In addition, we are
particularly excited after the successful launch of metal printing
capability for the FX10, the world’s first industrial 3D printer
for metals and composites, at the International Manufacturing
Technology Show in Chicago. With the Settlement Agreement in place
and the previously announced $25 million cost reduction initiative
implemented, we are committed to advancing our strategic objectives
and executing on our strategy to bring industrial 3D printing right
to the factory floor.”
About Markforged
Markforged (NYSE:MKFG) is enabling more resilient and flexible
manufacturing by bringing industrial 3D printing right to the
factory floor. Our additive manufacturing platform The Digital
Forge allows manufacturers to create strong, accurate parts in both
metal and advanced composites. With over 10,000 customers in 70+
countries, we’re bringing on-demand industrial production to the
point of need. We are headquartered in Waltham, Mass where we
design the hardware, software and advanced materials that makes The
Digital Forge reliable and easy to use. To learn more, visit
www.markforged.com.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are
based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently
available. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking
statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,”
“should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “strategy,” “anticipate,”
“believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,”
“continue,” “ongoing,” “opportunity” or the negative of these terms
or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking
statements contain these words. These statements involve risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results,
levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially
different from the information expressed or implied by these
forward-looking statements. Although Markforged believes that it
has a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained
in this press release, Markforged cautions you that these
statements are based on a combination of facts and factors
currently known by it and its projections of the future, about
which it cannot be certain. Forward-looking statements in this
press release include, but are not limited to: the success of our
cost reduction initiative; the rate and extent of adoption of our
products, including, but not limited to, our most recently
introduced products and the demand for the FX10, FX20 and PX100
printers; statements regarding our business outlook and ability to
achieve long-term financial targets; statements regarding the
Continuous Composites litigation and the resolution thereof; our
announcement of the Settlement Agreement; Markforged’s payment of
the settlement payments to Continuous Composites; and the District
Court’s review of the Settlement Agreement. These forward looking
statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties,
including, among others, general economic, political and business
conditions; the ability of Markforged to maintain its listing on
the New York Stock Exchange; our ability to pay the settlement
payments; the District Court’s review of the Settlement Agreement;
and those factors discussed under the header “Risk Factors” in
Markforged’s most recent periodic and other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including those
more fully described in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed
with the SEC on August 8, 2024, and other risks and uncertainties
detailed from time to time in Markforged’s filings with the SEC.
The forward-looking statements in this press release represent
Markforged’s views as of the date of this press release. Markforged
undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any
forward-looking statements except as required by law.
MediaSam Manning, Public Relations
Managersam.manning@markforged.com
InvestorsAustin Bohlig, Director of Investor
Relationsinvestors@markforged.com
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