Court Grants Spectranetics Preliminary Injunction

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 1 -- A Federal District Court in Colorado has granted Spectranetics Corp.'s request for a preliminary injunction preventing White Star Holdings Ltd. from making any attempt to terminate Spectranetics' license of certain laser technology used in its excimer laser system. The preliminary injunction follows a temporary restraining order issued in January.
The dispute grew out of a divorce proceeding between a co-inventor of the patented technology, Kenneth R. Fox, and his ex-wife. A state court in Virginia had previously ruled that White Star, with which Fox is affiliated, had no valid ownership rights in the patent license. Both White Star and a receiver appointed by the Virginia court have demanded royalties from Spectranetics under the patent license.