Litigators of the Week: In decade-old IP suit, Microsoft deletes WordPerfect maker's last patent standing and US$4.6B damages claim

A White & Case Intellectual Property team, led by partners Jonathan Lamberson and Henry Huang with associate Hallie Kiernan, have been named The American Lawyer's Litigator of the Week for securing a summary judgment ruling for Microsoft in a long-running high-stakes patent suit brought by WordPerfect maker Corel.

Corel had argued that Microsoft copied the "Real Time Preview" feature in Corel's WordPerfect product, and demanded US$4.6 billion in damages for the alleged infringement.

Commenting on the case, Lamberson said: "This case implicated a wide range of Microsoft products—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio, Publisher, Paint and WordPad—for versions dating back to 2007. The damages demand was in the billions and the case lasted for more than a decade. There were allegations of copying and willful infringement. There were 50 depositions, including a request by Corel to depose Bill Gates. So, there was a lot at stake over the years."

After the claims of two patents were invalidated, Judge Jill N. Parrish this week ruled the final patent's asserted claims invalid as obvious, resolving all claims in Microsoft's favor.

"I will remember how this opportunity came up through the growth of our IP team over the past several years," said Huang. "Jonathan brought this case with him and pulled us in to learn the history and technology so we could form a cohesive team."

Read the full article here (paywalled).

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