The September press event was part of that effort. Eastman also wants to beef up patent enforcement activities. Gerber holds many basic laser imaging patents. Some companies are licensees and pay royalties, but Eastman thinks there are many more that should. This area has proved fruitful for Gerber Scientific, which has won millions of dollars in patent infringement cases concerning systems for automated fabric cutting.
Pitman joins sales effort.
Gerber's graphic arts products are sold only through distributors. Gerber makes no direct sales. As a major distributor of supplies, Pitman calls on a broad spectrum of printers. Unlike most supply distributors, Pitman has made a serious commitment to electronic products. It sells computer-based products from Agfa, Eskofot, Cascade, DuPont, ICG and Wright Technologies, among others.