For Immediate Release
September 8, 2003

BKS Loses Court Decision To Siemon On Category 7/Class F TERA Connector

Suit resolution permits publication of international standards that reference TERA Interface.

WATERTOWN, CT — The Siemon Company, a world-leader in the design and manufacture of network cabling solutions and components, is pleased to announce that a German Appeals Court upheld a lower court’s earlier decision in favor of Siemon in a lawsuit in which BKS alleged infringement of its European Patent Number 809,331.

In 2001, BKS sued Siemon in Germany alleging that the TERA connector infringed this European patent. BKS lost that case with the German Court ruling that there was no patent infringement. BKS later filed an appeal in an attempt to change the ruling. The German Court however rejected this appeal and has dismissed the BKS’ lawsuit.

This favorable ruling in Europe that Siemon’s TERA connector is not an infringement of the BKS patent follows a similar ruling in the United States Courts that the TERA does not infringe BKS’ corresponding U.S. Patent 5,895,292. “The Siemon Company respects the patent rights of its competitors. We are not at all surprised that the Courts have ruled in Siemon’s favor” stated Michael A. Cantor, a partner at Cantor Colburn LLP, Siemon’s intellectual property attorneys.

With the dismissal of the BKS lawsuits, international standards which cover the connector interface that is used in the TERA connector were published and specified for category 7/class F cabling. The resultant ISO and IEC publications provide positive confirmation of the technical superiority of the TERA interface, which may now be used throughout the world in full compliance with international standards.

John Siemon, Vice President Engineering of The Siemon Company stated “As a leader and innovator in the structured cabling industry, we were always confident that the Siemon TERA connector was not an infringement of any BKS patent. We are therefore particularly pleased that the courts in both Germany and the United States have ruled in our favor. The TERA connector, together with its significant technical features and performance, will benefit the structured cabling industry globally.”

About Siemon
Established in 1903, Siemon is an industry leader specializing in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA Siemon has global offices and partners throughout the world. Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company's long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

Siemon’s Australian head office is located in Allambie Heights, Sydney, with offices also located in Brisbane and Melbourne.

For more information about this press release, please contact:
Alana Patton
The Siemon Company
Marketing Communications Executive
Tel : (02) 8977 7500