Microsoft Loses $500 Million Patent Judgment to Alcatel

A $500 million judgment against Microsoft was handed down in an ongoing patent dispute with Alcatel-Lucent. Microsoft and Alcatel are enmeshed in a number of lawsuits in federal court in San Diego over disputed intellectual property rights.

The judge's ruling Thursday upheld a jury decision in April that Microsoft was liable to pay $368 million in damages to Alcatel-Lucent for infringing patents related to user interface technology, plus additional interest.

Alcatel-Lucent had originally been seeking some $1.75 billion in damages.

Microsoft spokesman David Bowermaster said in an emailed statement that, "We plan to appeal the rulings against us. We are confident that the damages award against Microsoft will not be sustained on appeal."

Alcatel-Lucent spokeswoman Mary Lou Ambrus said in an emailed statement that, "We are delighted with the court's rulings...we had always believed we had a strong case."

The most high-profile decision stemming from the ongoing legal dispute in California over several patents was handed down last year, when Microsoft was ordered to pay $1.5 billion for infringing Alcatel-Lucent patents related to MP3 digital audio technology.

A judge later reversed that decision, however.

-John Letzing; 415-439-6400; AskNewswires@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

Posted to the site on 21st June 2008