The Australian inventor wrapped up in an eight-year legal battle against Microsoft has finally settledw ith the tech giant after several different judgements.
This judgement comes after Ric Richardson won $US388 million in a case decided by an American court in 2009. But according to a spokesperson for Microsoft, both parties have now reached a “final and mutually agreeable resolution”.
Richardson originally was granted his patent in 1996 for activation systems, used in several of Microsoft’s programs. The legal battles began in 2003, when Richardson sought a payout. The 2009 ruling was overturned by an appeals judge, which sparked another dispute.
In his personal blog, Richardson said he could not disclose the size of the settlement, but confirmed it was “amicable”.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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