Delaware District Court rules against IBM, Symantec in patent infringement lawsuit
Jury finds companies infringed two SRI patents
Defendant: IBM Corp., Symantec Corp.
Plaintiff: SRI International
Jurisdiction: United States District Court, District Court of Delaware
Result: Verdict – in favor of SRI
Source: : “SRI wins patent verdict against IBM unit, Symantec,” Delaware Online, September 21, 2008.
In September 2008, a jury in the U.S. District Court of the District of Delaware ruled against an IBM Corp. unit and Symantec Corp. in a patent infringement lawsuit filed by SRI International. SRI, a research institute founded at Stanford University, alleged the companies infringed two of its patents related to network surveillance.
After finding the patents valid, jurors deliberated two days before finding that both companies had infringed the patents.
The patent infringement lawsuit was originally filed in 2004 alleging misuse of patented inventions describing methods of monitoring suspicious computer activity. A lawyer for the plaintiffs told jurors that the IBM unit, Internet Security Systems Inc., and Symantec made hundreds of millions of dollars while using the patented technology.
SRI International is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1946 as Stanford Research Institute. It became independent from the school in 1970.
Patent protection attorney Tara J. Williams may help patentees who feel patent infringement is happening to them. Call our contingency-based law firm today for a free evaluation about your potential case.
