A federal pass judgement on in Detroit on Monday threw out a jury verdict ordering Ford Motor Co. to pay Versata Device Inc $104.6 million for breaching a 2004 licensing assurance and misappropriating industry secrets and techniques.
U.S. District Pass judgement on Matthew Leitman mentioned that day Versata Device, which authorized tool to Ford from 1998 to 2015, presented enough proof of a assurance breach, it didn’t trade in proof to let jurors calculate damages appropriately.
He additionally mentioned jurors had refuse foundation to decide how lengthy Ford would have had to form 3 industry secrets and techniques it allegedly stole, and that this additionally required voiding the damages award.
Leitman ordered Ford to pay Versata $3 for breach of assurance.
Versata sued Ford upcoming accusing the automaker of copying its tool as it was once uninterested in paying licensing charges, and upcoming Ford unacceptable an trade in in 2014 to license its main tool for $17 million a pace.
“Overturning a jury verdict is difficult by design,” Leitman mentioned in a 51-page resolution.
“But here,” he added, “the lack of evidence presented by Versata forced the jury to rest its damages awards on nothing more than speculation. For that reason the damages awards cannot stand.”
Legal professionals for Versata didn’t in an instant reply to demands for remark. Ford didn’t in an instant reply to a related request.
The $104.6 million award was once about 85 p.c of what Austin, Texas-based Versata had sought.
Jurors deliberated for 2 days earlier than retaining Ford liable utmost Oct. 27, following a 15-day trial.
The case is Versata Device Inc et al v Ford Motor Co, U.S. District Court docket, Japanese District of Michigan, Deny. 15-10628.
