Agilent Technologies Vigorously Pursues Intellectual Property Protection

BEIJING–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) has filed a civil lawsuit against Shanghai Echrom Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., and several former employees of Agilent, alleging infringement of trade secrets and petitioning the court to stop the defendants’ use of Agilent’s proprietary technologies. The suit also requests the court to order compensation for Agilent’s losses.

The complaint alleges trade secrets were illegally obtained by former employees of Agilent, who later formed Shanghai Echrom Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., and used the illegally obtained information to imitate an Agilent gas chromatograph.

“As a leading provider of scientific instruments and solutions for most of the world’s 265,000 analytical laboratories, our intellectual property is at the core of our company’s success,” said Michael Tang, Agilent senior vice president and general counsel. “Agilent is determined to protect our IP, and will take all appropriate legal actions against any infringements worldwide.”

“We are encouraged by the enactment of China’s 2013 National Intellectual Property Strategy that protects the rights of all companies to pursue protection of intellectual property through China’s judicial system,” Tang said.

In 1985, Agilent, through its predecessor company, Hewlett-Packard, became the first US high-tech company to enter a joint venture in China. It has continued to develop new technologies and products for the worldwide and China market. Agilent is a leader on initiatives relevant to China’s 13^th Five Year Plan, such as food safety and authenticity and solutions for air, water, and soil quality monitoring, as well as key drug development to fight cancer and other diseases.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A), is a global leader in life sciences, diagnostics and applied chemical markets. With more than 50 years of insight and innovation, our instruments, software, services, solutions and people provide trusted answers to our customers’ most challenging questions. The company generated revenues of $4.20 billion in fiscal 2016 and employs about 13,000 people worldwide. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com.