Philips protected against antitrust and misuse charges in DVD and CD infringement litigation

Finnegan successfully defended U.S. Philips Corporation against allegations that it had misused its patents relating to CD discs. After winning the jury trial, the parties tried the equitable defenses. The court rejected the infringer’s arguments that Philips engaged in improper tying of essential and nonessential patents in a patent pool.

Finnegan assisted Philips in another series of patent infringement litigations stopping unauthorized production of patented DVDs and CDs. The defendants alleged misuse by tying and bad faith litigation. The cases settled with the infringers dropping their misuse claims and agreeing to pay damages to Philips. Additionally, in related cases, Finnegan worked with Philips’s antitrust counsel in defeating the antitrust claims by motions.