NVMI Nova Ltd

REHOVOTH, Israel, March 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. (NASDAQ:NVMI), provider of leading edge stand-alone metrology and the market leader of integrated metrology solutions to the semiconductor process control market, today announced its motion for a stay in the patent litigation case brought by Nanometrics Incorporated (NASDAQ: NANO) had been granted by Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, pending completion of the re-examination process of the patent in the lawsuit by the U.S Patent & Trademark Office. On March 29, 2006, Nova was served with a complaint alleging that certain of its products sold in the U.S. infringed U.S. Patent No. Re: 34,783. Nova has consistently asserted that it believes that none of its products infringe any intellectual property of Nanometrics and has maintained that it intends to vigorously and aggressively defend itself in the litigation. As part of such defense, Nova had filed a request for re-examination of the Nanometrics' patent with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO). This request for re-examination was accepted by the PTO for review in December 2006. After reading and considering the arguments presented by the parties, the Court granted Nova's motion to stay. Commenting on the lawsuit, Gabi Seligsohn, President and CEO of Nova noted that "We are pleased by this ruling and believe that the ultimate outcome of this matter will demonstrate that Nanometrics' patent is invalid and its claims are without merit." About Nova Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. develops, produces and markets advanced integrated and stand alone metrology solutions for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Nova is traded on the NASDAQ & TASE under the symbol NVMI. The Company's website is http://www.nova.co.il/. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 relating to future events or our future performance, including statements relating to the future outcome of a pending claim. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. These risks and other factors include but are not limited to: unexpected developments in our legal matters, our ability to successfully complete our integration of HyperNex, our ability to leverage our existing channels to expand into the market for X-Ray diffraction metrology, changes in customer demands for our products, new product offerings from our competitors, changes in or an inability to execute our business strategy, unanticipated manufacturing or supply problems, changes in tax requirements, risks related to our intellectual property and changes in customer demand for our products. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties summarized under the heading ``Risk Factors' in Nova's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2005 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 29, 2006. These factors are updated from time to time through the filing of reports and registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Company Contact: Dror David, Chief Financial Officer Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. Tel: +972-8-938-7505 E-mail: http://www.nova.co.il/ Investor Relations Contacts: Ehud Helft / Kenny Green GK Investor Relations Tel: +1-866-704-6710 E-mail: DATASOURCE: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd CONTACT: Company Contact: Dror David, Chief Financial Officer, Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd., Tel: +972-8-938-7505, E-mail: , http://www.nova.co.il/. Investor Relations Contacts: Ehud Helft / Kenny Green, GK Investor Relations, Tel: +1-866-704-6710, E-mail: ,

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