Nobel Biocare to receive $2m from Keystone Dental

Nobel Biocare has announced it is to receive $2 million from Keystone Dental to settle an unfair competition, trade secret violations and tortious interference lawsuit between the firms.

The company said it had reached a favourable settlement in the case brought against the dental implant firm in the Superior Court of Connecticut.

Under the terms of the agreement, Keystone Dental also must collect and destroy any confidential and proprietary information from Nobel Biocare and not hire or solicit any of its employees through February 1st 2009.

Kevin Mosher, vice-president and general manager of the North American business of Nobel Biocare, said: “Nobel Biocare stands for fair competition, but where competition crosses the line into illegality we will use all legal means to protect our proprietary information and trade secrets.”

The company filed its lawsuit in 2007 and claimed Keystone Dental had targeted and employed its sales and marketing staff who represented a full cross-section of its business in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage.

Last month, Nobel Biocare signed a partnership with Imaging Sciences International to boost the sales of its NobelGuide treatment planning software.