Alcatel-Lucent v. Microsoft Corp.

Seal_of_the_United_States_District_Court_for_the_Southern_District_of_California

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Court	United States District Court for the Southern District of California
Full case name	Alcatel-Lucent S.A. v. Microsoft Corporation
Argued
Reargued
Submitted
Indictment
Started
Decided	February 22, 2008
Verdict
Defendant

Alcatel-Lucent v. Microsoft Corp. was a notable patent infringement case heard in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. The case involved allegations by Alcatel-Lucent that Microsoft Corporation had infringed on several of its patents related to MP3 audio technology.

Background

The dispute began when Alcatel-Lucent claimed that Microsoft had used its patented technology without permission in various products, including the Windows Media Player. The patents in question were originally developed by Bell Labs, which later became part of Alcatel-Lucent.

Legal Proceedings

The case was presided over by Judge Rudi M. Brewster. In February 2007, a jury found Microsoft liable for patent infringement and awarded Alcatel-Lucent $1.52 billion in damages, one of the largest patent infringement awards in history at that time. However, Microsoft contested the verdict, arguing that the patents were invalid and that they had not infringed upon them.

Appeal and Outcome

Microsoft appealed the decision, and in August 2007, Judge Brewster overturned the jury's verdict, ruling that Microsoft did not infringe on one of the patents and that the other patent was not valid. This decision significantly reduced the damages awarded to Alcatel-Lucent.

Significance

The case is significant in the realm of intellectual property law and software patents. It highlighted the complexities involved in patent litigation, especially in the technology sector, and underscored the challenges companies face in protecting their intellectual property.

Related Pages

• Patent infringement
• Software patents
• Intellectual property law
• Windows Media Player
• Bell Labs
• Alcatel-Lucent
• Microsoft Corporation

See Also

• List of patent case law
• United States District Court for the Southern District of California