E-Color Provides Details About Its Patent Filings Related to True Internet Color; European Patent Office Finds No Prior Art on the First of E-Color's International Patent Applications

Business Wire, April 19, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2000

E-Color Inc., developer of the standard for Web color accuracy, announced today that the European Patent Office (EPO) will soon publish the first of E-Color's pending international patent applications.

The EPO will also publish the results of their patent search, which found no prior art that might impede future patent approval. Based on this result, E-Color can request expedited approval from the U.S. and European patent offices of its pending patents. If issued, these patents will protect E-Color's True Internet Color(R) technology.

"This is the first phase of E-Color's global strategy to protect and assert its decade-long investment in its innovations and intellectual property," said Morgan Chu, at the firm's IP counsel Irell & Manella. "E-Color's pending patent applications have patent priority dating as early as 1998."

"E-Color is the safe choice among vendors offering accurate color for the Web," said Bill Hilliard, president of E-Color Inc. "Upon approval of any of our patent claims, imitation products may be required to remove infringing technology from the market."

E-Color has filed for patent protection covering fundamental elements of a technique offering accurate color on the Internet including:

-- A technique for enabling consumers to set up for accurate color at one Web
site, with no need to set up again at each subsequent site.

-- A process in which Web sites can communicate to consumers via an icon, or
via some other means, whether or not the consumers are viewing color-accurate
Web display.

-- A method of performing remote color characterization of local computer
display or TV through use of a server-based characterization program displaying
test patterns on the screen of the local device.

-- A business model of adding "color-fidelity technology," using a server based
method, to Web sites merchandising various "high-touch" items such as fashion,
cosmetic, art, automotive, and other applications.

E-Color's True Internet Color service enables Web sites to provide color control for their content and allows consumers to see accurate and consistent images via the Internet. True Internet Color went live for the Christmas 1999 selling season with Bloomingdales.com (www.bloomingdales.com). It can also be viewed live on SaviShopper.com (www.savishopper.com) and WorldJunction.com (www.worldjunction.com). Fifteen additional Web sites have signed contracts to implement True Internet Color in the near future including market leaders HomePortfolio.com, Indulge.com, stsjewels.com and eyeonart.com.

E-Color is the market leader building color accuracy into the Internet infrastructure. Though others have announced their intentions to enter the market, E-Color is the only competitor with live Web sites. Moreover, E-Color has the largest installed base of clients set up to view accurate Internet color.

"Thirty million new consumers will be enabled to view in True Internet Color over the next 12 months through deals we have in place with our OEM channel," said Hilliard. "This makes True Internet Color the de facto standard. Our patent applications further strengthen this positioning in this market."

About E-Color Inc.

E-Color's True Internet Color is the standard for maintaining color fidelity on the Web. True Internet Color will increase conversion and retention rates as well as reduce returns due to incorrect color representation on screen. Leading Web sites such as Bloomingdales.com, HomePortfolio.com, Indulge.com, Lucy.com, SaviShopper.com and others have already licensed True Internet Color.

E-Color has distributed more than 13 million consumer products through its longstanding relationships with OEMs such as Compaq, 3Dfx, 3Dlabs, ADI, Acer Peripherals, ATI, Creative Labs, Hitachi, IBM, Leadtek, Samsung, and ViewSonic. New consumers receiving products from these makers are set up for True Internet Color when setting up their new PCs, monitors, graphics cards, printers, and other peripherals. This OEM distribution channels makes it convenient for consumers to set up for True Internet Color while they configure other aspects of their new PC. For more information visit, www.ecolor.com.

E-Color and True Internet Color are registered trademarks of E-Color Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective companies.