A group of major tech companies and influential academics have thrown their weight behind Marvell Semiconductor Inc.’s bid to reverse a $1.54 billion trial loss to Carnegie Mellon University, arguing that the megaverdict was based on a dangerous ruling applying U.S. patent law to overseas commerce.
Google Inc., Microsoft Corporation, and seven other companies are urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to undo the damages award, which stemmed from CMU’s claims that Marvell infringed its patents relating to chip technology. In an amicus brief filed on Monday, the companies argue that the trial judge erred in allowing CMU to collect damages for every infringing Marvell product sold worldwide, including many that never entered the United States. Dan Bagatell and Kenneth Halpern of Perkins Coie are counsel of record for the tech giants.
