Conair drops patent lawsuit against Novatec

Conair Group Inc. has dropped its patent infringement lawsuit against Novatec Inc. after Novatec agreed to change its product literature and Web site information about its Intelli PET Drying System.

Cranberry Township, Pa.-based Conair filed the suit April 15 in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, charging the Intelli PET infringed on its patent.

Key to the dispute between the two auxiliary equipment suppliers had been former Conair executive Conrad Bessemer, who left in 2006 to head a group that bought Novatec. Conair implied that Novatec, under Bessemer, developed dryers that mimic Conair dryers.

Conair dismissed the lawsuit in court documents filed June 22.

In a news release issued by Baltimore-based Novatec after the lawsuit was dropped, president and CEO Bessemer denied that Novatec dryers infringe on Conair patents. “There was never any intrigue here and there was never any stealing of technology,” he said.