Scriptel Holding Corp, Columbus, Ohio is to take a controlling stake in Coloray Display Corp under the latter’s Chapter 11 reorganisation plan. The creditors’ plan was sponsored by Scriptel, and has won the approval of Coloray’s creditors and management. Creditors will receive a mix of cash and Scriptel shares and options. Coloray holds 14 patents critical to Field Emission Display technology, used in high-quality flat screens. These were licensed from SRI International in 1992 – as part of another Chapter 11 reorganisation plan. But the company never found the resources to develop products based on the patents commercially. Scriptel says the technology fits well with its own electrostatic digitiser patents. Used in pen-based systems, they have been licensed to AT&T Co, Apple Computer Inc, Tandy Corp, Samsung Electronics Co and others. The US Department of Defense has allocated substantial grants for research into the technology, for military uses such as computer screens in aircraft.
