Realnetworks beats infringement suit
Digital media services company RealNetworks Inc. announced Friday it has won a patent infringement suit brought against them by Ethos Technologies Inc.
A jury rendered an unanimous verdict finding that the company did not infringe any of the 10 patent claims asserted by Ethos, who was seeking $200 million in damages.
According to the company, the current lawsuit dealt with minor RealNetworks products including RealDownload Express and RealDownload, the latter not being distributed in several years, it said.
"We are very pleased with the results of today's ruling," said Robert Kimball, RealNetworks' senior vice president and general counsel. "Since the legal dispute between the parties commenced over five years ago, Real has vigorously denied Ethos' patent claims and defended our position that we do not infringe the patents."
"While we respect intellectual property rights and the rights of inventors to protect their innovations, we have also made it clear that we would not be pressured into taking a license for technology we did not use and patents that we did not infringe," he added.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International