Patent Law Practice Center

Patent Infringement Doesn’t Pay…Unless You’re Verizon, in Which Case You Owe $11 Million a Month for the Next 6 Months

The National Law Journal reports that starting December 16, 2011, Verizon must pay $2.74 per every FiOs customer each month as “sunset royalties” for their continued use of technology deemed to be infringing patents belonging to ActiveVideo.  The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia had ruled in August 2011 that Verizon infringed four of ActiveVideo’s patents regarding interactive TV and video-on-demand applications. Verizon would have to pay “sunset royalties” for its continued use of the technology until it changed its internal system. Last week, the same court denied a motion from Verizon to stay having to pay “sunset royalties” pending an appeal. (more…)