Verizon has persuaded a federal judge in Texas to overturn an $847 million patent verdict and grant a new trial on allegations that the telecom giant infringed patents related to wireless communications technology.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap ruled that the jury’s decision in favor of patent owner General Access Solutions (GAS) was “against the great weight of the evidence” and ordered a new trial on all aspects of the case.
Attorneys for both GAS and Verizon, along with a Verizon spokesperson, have not yet commented on the ruling.
GAS, based in Dallas, sued Verizon in 2022, claiming that the telecom company’s 5G wireless base stations, mobile phones, hotspots, and wireless routers violated its patent rights.
These patents originated from technology developed by the startup WestEnd Broadband in the early 2000s. A jury in Marshall, Texas, determined in June that Verizon had infringed two of GAS’s patents and awarded $847 million in damages.
In September, Verizon requested a new trial, citing several issues, including the court’s exclusion of relevant evidence, misinterpretation of the patents, and errors in the verdict form.
Judge Gilstrap agreed, stating that Verizon’s concerns were “substantial” and justified a retrial on all matters, including infringement, invalidity, and damages.
The new trial is scheduled to begin on December 6.
The case is titled General Access Solutions Ltd v. Verizon Wireless, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, No. 2:22-cv-00394.
