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Complete Genomics, Illumina Settle Patent Infringement Lawsuits

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Complete Genomics today said that it and Illumina have settled two patent infringement lawsuits brought by Illumina.

Illumina will dismiss with prejudice both lawsuits as part of the settlement agreement, and Complete Genomics will dismiss with prejudice all its counterclaims.

The two firms have entered into mutual releases. Each will be responsible for its own legal costs, and no payment was made by either party to the other. No licenses are being granted, either.

Illumina sued Complete Genomics in 2010, alleging infringement of three sequencing-related patents held by Illumina: US Patent No. 6,306,597; No. 7,232,656; and No. 7,598,035. The patents relate to methods of DNA sequencing by parallel oligonucleotide extensions, the use of arrayed biomolecules in sequencing, and methods and compositions for ordering restriction fragments.

In particular, Illumina said at the time, Complete Genomics' combinatorial probe anchor ligation technology infringed the '597 and '035 patents.

Illumina followed up with a second lawsuit in 2012, saying the combinatorial probe anchor ligation technology infringed US Patent No. 8,192,930.

"We are pleased to have reached a settlement with Illumina regarding this matter," Clifford Reid, CEO of Complete Genomics, a wholly owned subsidiary of BGI, said in a statement. "This resolution allows Complete to focus on its vision of revolutionizing medicine through the use of whole genome sequencing."