I don't know how new this technology is, but the images on this site, appear very impressive:
http://www.cri-inc.com/products/maestro.asp

But that's not why I'm posting, from the description:

A license from AntiCancer Incorporated, 7917 Ostrow St., San Diego, CA 92111 and/or Xenogen Corporation, 860 Atlantic Avenue, Alameda, California 94501, may be required to practice imaging, within animals, of cells genetically engineered to produce light-emitting compounds.

While the equipment manufacturer is probably just alerting users to the situation it does open some questions:
* are the patents refered to really this broad
* can the patents be defended?
* can anyone afford to challenge them?

I've not looked into the details but from a first glance at the above post it looks as if someone's trying to profit from the obvious - and might well end up holding back academic / commercial research in the process.

Thats a great system
Thanks for the attachment
Guy

When it comes to the patent issue from xenogen/caliper it does not hold up very well in the research community. Basically you can tell them you are not going to pay and there is nothing they can do about it. When it comes to private industry the patent holds up very well and rolaties have to be paid out. Another system you might want to look at is here http://www.bertholdtech.com/ww/en/pub/bioanalytik/produkte/lb981.cfm

Give it a look

My suggestion is buy from a licensed distributor of products that use any patented material. The reason the warning is there is to tell you that any research you try to introduce or profit from without using a licensed product, these companies will come after you for a piece of that pie. Now if you are not trying to profit from your research you are fine. The Maestro system is good, but they hardly have a product that is unique. The properties of such products as Luciferine are very well known in the Photonics markets. There are any number of cameras available that can take images in real time while the rodent is alive. If you have to kill the animal to get your image, it is not a very good system.