Jury Rules That Gerdes is Not Violating Stant Gas Cap Patents, Reports Fulwider Patton LLP

LOS ANGELES--June 22, 2006--Fulwider Patton LLP today announced that a jury in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Indiana determined that the version of Gerdes GmbH's fuel cap sold to General Motors currently and for the last several years did not infringe any valid claim asserted by U.S.-based Stant Manufacturing, Inc. The verdict could benefit U.S. consumers and spur vigorous competition between Stant and companies such as Gerdes GmbH of Kerpen-Sindorf, Germany.

According to Gerdes' attorney, Michael S. Elkind of Fulwider Patton, Stant had dominated the business of supplying fuel caps to U.S. car manufacturers for the U.S. market for decades. When Gerdes GmbH began supplying approximately one-half of General Motors' requirements for this market during the 2003 model year, Stant filed a patent infringement lawsuit, ultimately based upon four patents. Gerdes and two related companies have been defending the suit for the past three and a half years. Stant is owned by the British company Tomkins plc.

Although gas caps are one of the smallest features on a car, they are a major safety component and an integral part of the onboard diagnostics system and emissions control system, which are interrelated.