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Shuffle Master, IGT settle

Tuesday, June 5, 2001 | 11:03 a.m.

Shuffle Master Inc. and International Game Technology jointly announced they have settled a patent infringement lawsuit filed last month by IGT against Shuffle Master.

IGT sued Shuffle Master, its business partner, in Minnesota federal court last month over a field trial Shuffle Master initiated at the Excalibur hotel-casino in Las Vegas. IGT claimed that the "Double Platinum" machines in this trial, a retrofit of IGT three-reel machines, violated IGT's "Telnaes" patent. This patent drastically increases the amount of random outcomes possible on a three-reel machine.

In settling, IGT licensed "certain .. patents, trade dress and trademarks" for the IGT machines used to Shuffle Master. In return, Shuffle Master agreed not to convert more than 15,000 machines, and will share profits from the retrofitted machines with IGT.

IGT also said it has expanded its business alliance with Shuffle Master, agreeing to develop and release five new slot machines with Shuffle Master starting in 2003.

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