ViaSat and SS/L settle bitter dispute
September 8, 2014
By Chris Forrester
The legal wrangling over alleged misuse by Loral Space and its subsidiary Space Systems/Loral of patented intellectual property owned by ViaSat of California has been settled. ViaSat gets $100 million in compensation and all the litigation ceases. The initial award to ViaSat of £283 million has been set aside.
The writs, claims and counter claims between the protagonists have been bouncing back and forth for months, but a statement in the early hours of Sunday morning said: “Under the terms of the settlement, in consideration of a current payment to ViaSat of $40 million and future payments of $60 million over 2½years with interest, ViaSat has agreed that SSL and its customers will be free from any lawsuits with respect to SSL’s future use of the ten patents-in-suit and certain other patents and patent applications and with respect to breach of certain contracts that were the subject of the suit.
The settlement also releases Loral, SSL and their customers from all claims for patent infringement and breach of contract brought in the lawsuits.”