Narrowed scope leads to favorable verdict for ADT Security Systems and Digital Security Controls

Finnegan attained a win on behalf of the defendants in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.  On the third day of trial, a federal district court judge directed a verdict against the plaintiffs and in favor of Finnegan's clients ADT Security Systems, Inc. and Digital Security Controls, Ltd. on all claims.  The plaintiffs were seeking damages for the alleged infringement of a patent relating to a telephone line coupler circuit.  The judge's ruling for the defendants followed in the wake of a number of favorable rulings on pretrial motions that narrowed the scope of the case.  The decision was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In addition to the directed verdict, the case was unusual in that it was a win for the defendants in a venue with a reputation for favoring plaintiffs.