In March, the two online measurement companies were locked in a patent infringement legal battle. Nielsen filed first on 3/16 the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, claiming comScore violated its patent rights. ComScore filed a countersuit 3/22 against Nielsen Holdings and its Netratings division also in a US District Court alleging infringement of patent rights. Now it has been settled.
Subject to retained rights by Nielsen, comScore will acquire ownership of the four Nielsen families of patents asserted in litigation, a portfolio with many U.S. and international patents. In exchange, both companies will enter into a cross-licensing agreement. comScore is also granting Nielsen worldwide licenses for the families of the four patents comScore filed its suit over.
Both parties agree not to bring any patent action against the other for the next three years. In addition, Nielsen has acquired $19 million in comScore restricted common stock with neutral voting requirements, which Nielsen has agreed to hold for a period of one year minimum.
This agreement settles both patent suits filed by the companies.
