Jan. 29, 2007 — Asylum Research , a Santa Barbara, Calif. atomic force microscope manufacturer, announced that it will appeal a decision of the Opposition Division of the European Patent Office. The recent ruling rejected Asylum Research’s opposition, filed in May 2004, to a Veeco Instruments’ European patent for tapping with phase imaging. Asylum Research contends that the patent is invalid. The EPO does not consider infringement issues.