News Briefs (Jan. 18, 2006)

Benchmark Technologies Inc. and Holographix LLC today announced an agreement under which Holographix polymer replication technology, adapted for fabrication of nano-imprint templates, will be sold worldwide exclusively by Benchmark Technologies. Benchmark will also represent Holographix for sales activities of replicated optics and other replicated parts in territories currently not serviced by other representatives. Based in Lynnfield, Mass., Benchmark is a supplier of test reticles and imprint templates, and related services, to the semiconductor and other nanofabrication industries. . . . PerkinElmer Inc., a provider of drug discovery, life science research and analytical solutions, has named Karl Hecker as director of research and development (R&D) for its Boston-based Center of Excellence. He will lead all product R&D efforts for the center, which focuses on molecular medicine solutions -- including chemistries, reagents, instruments and software -- for customers engaged in proteomics, genomics and life sciences research. Hecker joins PerkinElmer from Invitrogen and has over 20 years of scientific experience in chemistry and biochemistry applications. . . . Kaiser Optical Systems Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich., a maker of volume phase holographic (VPH) diffraction gratings, announced that it has shipped over two million square centimeters of its VPH components used in Kaiser Optical Systems' Raman spectroscopy instrumentation, as well as in gratings supplied for telecommunications, astronomy and ultrafast laser pulse compression applications. Kaiser Optical Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rockwell Collins, a provider of communication and aviation electronics products for commercial and government customers. . . . USAmerican LLC founder Frank Weyer of Beverly Hills, Calif., has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Oakley Inc. and Motorola Inc. in the US District Court for the Central District of California alleging that the Razrwire sunglasses and Bluetooth headset combination jointly marketed by Oakley and Motorola infringes on his patent. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles on Jan. 3. Weyer, an attorney and engineer, says he came up with the idea of attaching earphones to sunglasses when his earphones kept falling out while he was jogging. He patented his idea in 1990 and marketed the product as Cruisers. In 1994, Oakley unsuccessfully sued Weyer's company for patent infringement. Weyer recently formed his new company, USAmerican LLC, to produce and market an updated version of the Cruisers product, as well as an MP3 player/sunglasses product, Stompers, to compete with Oakley's Thump product.