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McDonald's dropsdiner experiment
McDonald's has pulled the plug on a diner restaurant concept it was test marketing in several Indiana cities, converting them to the chain's conventional menu and design. The "McDonald's with the Diner Inside" began in Kokomo, Ind., in 2001 as a test to see whether a different decor and an expanded menu with items such as sliced turkey, mashed potatoes and open-faced sandwiches could boost business.
Bausch & amp; Lomb,Ciba settle dispute
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Bausch & amp; Lomb Inc. has settled a 5-year-old dispute with Ciba Vision Corp. over patent rights to silicone hydrogel technology used in extended-wear contact lenses.
Bausch & amp; Lomb said it does not expect the settlement to affect its projected profits of $2.70-to-$2.75 a share in 2004.
Atlanta-based Ciba Vision, the eye-care unit of Swiss drug giant Novartis AG, argued in a series of lawsuits dating back to 1999 that Bausch & amp; Lomb's PureVision lenses infringed on patents used in its Focus Night & amp; Day lenses.
From Associated Press