Sumitomo, Alcatel Sign Cross-License Accord

TOKYO, May 30 -- Cable maker Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd has reached a cross-licensing agreement on fiber optic technology with French telecom maker Alcatel. Under the agreement, Alcatel and Sumitomo Electric, the world's third- and fourth-biggest makers of optical fiber and cable, will use each other's patents and production expertise, Sumitomo Electric said.
The agreement would allow Alcatel to use Sumitomo Electric's Dispersion Compensation Fiber (DCF) technology, which supports long-distance optic communications, while Sumitomo will have access to Alcatel's fiber optic technologies. Alcatel also has signed a cross-licensing deal with Corning involving a three-year agreement for the supply of Dispersion Compensation Modules (DCM). Financial terms were not disclosed. Under the agreement, the companies will have access to their respective optical components patents.