BTG to seek licenses for Corning optics patents

West Conshohocken, PA, April 14, 2004---BTG a global technology commercialization company, and Corning Incorporated (Corning, NY) a diversified technology company, announced today that they have signed a representation agreement whereby BTG will seek licensees on behalf of Corning for a portfolio of Corning patents related to a widely-used glass molding process.
The molded glass process, developed by Corning in the mid 1980s, is commonly used to make aspheric glass lenses for digital cameras, optical disc storage devices, laser printers and optical communications systems. Molded glass aspheric lenses are superior to multi element lenses for such devices because they are diffraction limited and very cost effective. And, when compared with plastic lenses, molded glass aspheric lenses operate over a much broader temperature and humidity range without any degradation of performance.
This technology has many applications, each with a large market, including lens and illumination systems, telecommunications, copiers, scanners, printers, medical devices, automotive, eyewear, PCs, and DVDs according to the company.
"Several companies, including Fuji, Tamron, NSG and others, have already taken licenses, and this agreement demonstrates our commitment to actively license our intellectual property portfolio," commented Dr. Mark Newhouse, Vice President, Strategic Growth at Corning. "We look forward to working with BTG to license this technology, as well as commercializing other opportunities in our portfolio," he said.