ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. and 3M have reached a settlement regarding a patent dispute involving lithium ion battery cathode materials which was the subject of a patent infringement suit filed in March 2007 against Matsushita, Panasonic Corporation of North America and other companies. Matsushita and 3M have executed a Settlement and License Agreement. Under this Agreement, Matsushita and Panasonic Corporation of North America are now licensed sources of batteries. The specific terms of the settlement are confidential.

3M believes its cathode materials containing nickel, manganese and cobalt are an important technology for current and next generation lithium ion batteries. 3M stands ready to supply cathode materials to the industry. Over the past decade, 3M has invested significant resources in design, development and commercialization of advanced material technologies for lithium ion battery applications. 3M’s expertise and broad materials capabilities in cathodes, metal alloy anodes, electrolyte salts, solvents, and additives can enable the next generation of high-performance lithium ion batteries.

Lithium ion batteries are a preferred source of power for laptop computers, mobile phones and portable electronic devices, and are an emerging source of power for battery-powered hand tools. In addition, 3M sees a promising future for its lithium-ion technology in transport applications such as hybrid electric vehicles.