Important Intellectual Property

Michael Coyle
March 12, 2008

A patent dispute between MercExchange and eBay has been settled. In the case, the Supreme Court sided with the eBay in what is considered to be an important ruling on intellectual property. As a result, eBay will purchase from MercExchange three patents that were part of a September 2001 lawsuit filed by MercExchange, along with additional technology and inventions related to the dispute. eBay will also license a search-related patent portfolio that wasn’t part of the lawsuit, the company said Thursday. Other terms of the agreement are not being disclosed, eBay said.

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Written By:

Michael Coyle

Michael is Lawdit’s Principal and heads our Commercial and Intellectual Property Department. As a Solicitor Advocate, he is one of a select group of legal experts qualified to represent clients as an advocate in the Higher Courts in England and Wales. He holds a Master of Laws degree (LL.M) from Nottingham Trent University and is a guest lecturer at Southampton Solent University. He has also completed a teaching stint at the Academy of Music in Guildford where Michael taught copyright law. Michael is highly regarded for his work in all areas of intellectual property law (which includes the eCommerce and IT fields), litigation and company/commercial matters. He regularly advises on non-contentious issues including regulatory and statutory obligations and has been involved in many successful disputes, with a strong reputation for finding common sense and practical solutions for clients. In 2017, Michael was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Law from Southampton Solent University for his contribution to the University and his continued support to its students.