COMPANY TOWN ANNEX

Imax Loses Suit Affecting Rival Iwerks: Toronto-based Imax, the market leader in putting large-format films on huge movie screens, alleged that Cinema Technologies Inc. had misappropriated trade secrets. CTI is the sole supplier of the large-format cameras used by Burbank-based Iwerks Entertainment. In a summary judgment, U.S. District Judge D. Lowell Johnson of San Francisco ruled against Imax. In another lawsuit, filed by Iwerks against Imax in February, the complaint against CTI was cited as evidence that Imax allegedly violated antitrust laws by stifling competition. The ruling “certainly backs up the claims we made that Imax has bullied the marketplace,” said Vito Sanzone, vice president of marketing for Iwerks. “Clearly we could speculate that this decision . . . makes our antitrust suit look valid.” An Imax representative said the company would appeal.