Unilin Prevails Over Berry and B&Q in UK Court of

Wielsbeke, Belgium, November 9, 2005 – On November 3, 2005 the Court of Appeal in London ruled in favor of Unilin in the patent infringement case Unilin brought against Berry Floor and B&Q. The judgment dismissed the appeal by Berry against an earlier decision of the Patent County Court. In that decision the Patent County Court confirmed that Unilin’s European Patent EP 1 024 234 is drafted with reasonable skill and knowledge. EP 1 024 234 protects certain systems to join flooring panels without the use of glue. This judgment is the 4th judgment in a row that the U.K. courts have pronounced in favor of Unilin. Unilin will now proceed to the court to claim the costs and damages it has incurred by the acts of infringement by Berry and B&Q. B&Q is the biggest U.K. DIY retailer, with about 300 stores, it is part of the Kingfisher group, which also owns the DIY chains Hornbach (Germany) and Castorama (France).