Joseph C. Benedetti, Vice President of Commodore International LTD., Issues Statement in Response to Lawsuit Brought by Atari Corp. Against Commodore Machines Inc.

West Chester, Pa. -- April 18, 1985 -- PRNewswire -- The following statement, issued today by Joseph C. Benedetti, vice president, general counsel, Commodore International Ltd., is a response to the lawsuit brought by Atari Corp. against Commodore Business Machines Inc., April 10, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California:

We have learned that on April 10, Atari Corp. filed a new lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, claiming patent infringement and naming Commodore Business Machines Inc. and Commodore-Amiga Inc. as defendants.

While Atari's complaint is less than crystal clear, the lawsuit appears to be another publicity seeking effort by Atari to harass Commodore and attempt to interfere with the launch of Commodore's heralded Amiga computer.

We are confident that this new lawsuit is devoid of any merit.

Atari has also recently filed a motion to the court to add Commodore Business Machines Inc. as a defendant in its original lawsuit, filed last August against Amiga Corp. -- in which Atari has to date unsuccessfully attempted to block the Commodore-Amiga computer project.

We believe that these new legal maneuvers by Atari are part and parcel of a series of harassment techniques whereby Atari has sought to generate adverse Commodore publicity, intimidate software houses and other suppliers from dealing with the Commodore-Amiga project, and generally interfere with Commodore's earnest efforts to compete in an open market environment.

Commodore is moving "full speed ahead" with the Amiga computer with complete confidence that Atari's tactics will not interfere with, or in any way have any impact upon, its launch.

While Commodore will continue to vigorously pursue the marketing of the Amiga computer and other new Commodore products, we will also vigorously pursue appropriate legal remedies to protect and enforce Commodore's legal rights."

CONTACT: Commodore International, 215-431-9100, or Geltzer & Co., 212-575-1976, for Commodore International

Copyright PR Newswire 1985 wire