Liam Fox forced into U-turn over legal spat with US multinational 3M
Ploughshare Innovations, the MoD's civilian research arm, and Porton are suing 3M for up to £41m in damages, claiming that the US group failed to "diligently" develop their BacLite testing technology, which they sold to the technology company in 2007. BacLite uses a type of fluorescent light to detect the presence of the hospital bug MRSA within hours, rather than the days using conventional methods. Lawyers for 3M, which is suing Boulter and Porton for blackmail, are likely to force Fox to give evidence in the trial in the US. The "unprecedented" legal action could make Fox the first serving British cabinet member to give evidence in a serious lawsuit in America. http://m.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/aug/07/liam-fox-porton-capital?cat=business&type=article