$1.5bn damages dropped Microsoft
The San Diego federal judge reversed a jury’s verdict which had feint that Microsoft’s software Media Player infringed on 2 Alcatel patents.
Both copyrights regarded how audio was changed into MP3 files.
Alcatel said it would request against the decision while said Microsoft the reversal was a “success for consumers”.
Shocking–Mary Lou Ambrus, a spokesperson for Alcatel-Lucent, said: “This U-turn of the judge’s own post-trial and pre-trial rulings is shocking and upsetting.”
Judge Rudi Brewster ruled that Microsoft had not contravened patent laws because Microsoft had paid already German firm Fraunhofer $16m to use one of the patents in issue.
Given that Fraunhofer had not to court, Microsoft was not deemed to have wrecked any laws, the judge decided.
In turn around the decision, the judge also redundant the argument given to justify the well - which it amounted to 0.5% of Microsoft’s global PC sales since 2003.
If the French firm were booming in challenging the ruling, he would give them a new test, but he would not restore the original $1.5bn fine.
There had been worries that if Microsoft had mislaid the Alcatel-Lucent case, lots of other firms that certify technology would also be sued.
The case in the San Diego court is just 1 of 6 cases brought by Alcatel-Lucent that the court is set to hear.
They are all alongside computer firms and include Gateway and Dell.