Style Limited To Appeal Chinese Patent Ruling

Melbourne, Australia, April 6, 2009--Style Limited said it will appeal a decision by China’s Patent Reexamination Board to invalidate the registered patent on its proprietary strand-woven bamboo flooring technology.

Style said the decision has no effect on its ecently filed strand-woven timber flooring patents that are now pending.

Style’s Chinese strand-woven bamboo patent, which has twice been upheld by Chinese courts since it was approved by the State Intellectual Property Organization on Jan. 7, 2004, was declared invalid.

The decision followed an application to the board by Yixing Yao Long Bamboo & Wood Products Co., Ltd., as part of its defense, in an ongoing patent infringement case brought by Style.

“Style has received independent legal advice from two law firms that the ruling of the Patent Reexamination Board is incorrect on several grounds,” said Style Limited’s CEO Peter Torreele.

“The Company will immediately file an appeal with the Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court to overturn this decision.”