Alcon to Pay Johnson & Johnson $199 Million to Settle Eye-Laser Cases
Alcon Vision LLC will pay Johnson & Johnson’s J&J Surgical Vision Inc. $199 million to settle legal battles over intellectual property related to the companies’ laser eye-surgery devices, Alcon said in a press release on Sunday.
Alcon said the one-time payment would resolve “various worldwide intellectual property disputes” and that the companies had reached a cross-licensing agreement.
Representatives for Johnson & Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday on the settlement.
A copyright trial was set to begin this week in Delaware federal court over claims that Alcon stole software from J&J’s iFS Laser system, used for LASIK vision correction and other surgeries, and utilized it in Alcon’s LenSx system to treat cataracts. A J&J expert had argued that the company was entitled to at least $3.1 billion in damages….