Reference is made to JFT’s announcement on 27 June 2014 in relation to a Complaint for Patent Infringement filed by JTI in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (“the Court”) against the Defendants for the Infringement of United States Patent No. 7,059,866 entitled "Integrated Circuit Test Contact to Test Apparatus" ("866 Patent").

The Board wishes inform that above Complaint has been officially accepted on 5 August 2014 by the Defendants following the appointment of a local Intellectual Property (“IP”) consultant, namely Advanz Fidelis and Nixon Peabody and IP litigation lawyer for United States.

The amount of claim was not indicated in Complaint. In view thereof, JFT could not ascertain the maximum exposure to liabilities in relation to the Complaint.

As United States patent laws do not apply outside the United States, the manufacture, use, sale, and offering for sale of the ZIGMA products outside the United States are not affected by this case.  In addition, JTI has not to date taken the necessary steps to pursue any judicial or customs restrictions on JFT’s activities inside the United States, there is no current credible threat that this case will disrupt JF’s activities inside the United States.  Even in the unlikely event that monetary liability ultimately is determined to exist, the litigation process, including appeals, is expected to last approximately two to three years or more before the final outcome is known.

The Board of JFT is confident that it will prevail in this case. 

The Defendants are required to respond the Complaint by 22 September 2014.

The Company has sought its solicitor’s advice on the necessary course of action to be taken in relation to the aforesaid defence.

The Company will make the necessary announcement on further development on the matter in due course.

This announcement is dated 7 August 2014.