Royalties to be paid for life of infringed patents
A Texas federal jury has awarded $15.7 million to Rembrandt Wireless Technologies after finding that Samsung Electronics infringed on two Rembrandt patents covering Bluetooth technology.
Jurors deliberated only one hour before issuing the Feb. 13 verdict. The five-day trial focused on two Rembrandt patents, U.S. Patent Nos. 8,023,580 and 8,457,228. In addition to the $15.7 million award, Rembrandt also will receive royalty payments on all Samsung Bluetooth sales for the life of the patents.
Rembrandt, a Pennsylvania-based business technology company, sued Samsung and Blackberry Ltd. in 2013. Blackberry settled before the trial. Rembrandt argued that its patents for Bluetooth “enhanced data rate” inventions were infringed by Samsung in its Galaxy S phones.
“Justice was done here. The Rembrandt inventions are at the heart of Samsung Bluetooth capabilities,” says Demetrios Anaipakos, a partner at Houston-based Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos Alavi & Mensing P.C. or AZA. Other AZA lawyers representing Rembrandt were Amir Alavi, Alisa Lipski, Kyril Talanov and Jamie Alan Aycock.
Michael F. Heim of Heim Payne & Chorush LLP in Houston said,
“It would be a surprise if Samsung doesn’t appeal now. It’s expected in these cases. But we are confident the result will be affirmed in all respects,”
The case is Rembrandt Wireless Technologies LP v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., et al., No. 2:13-CV-00213, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap presided.
