In March, Nielsen sued comScore, accusing the firm of infringing upon 5 patents related to measuring and displaying online content.
Here’s a look at that complaint, courtesy of PaidContent:
Shortly thereafter, comScore countersued Nielsen and its Net Ratings division, claiming it was infringing upon its patents.
That whole mess is apparently over now (at least for the next few years), as the two measurement firms have settled. Nielsen and comScore put out a joint press release, which says the following:
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE: NLSN), a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers watch and buy, and comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today announced the companies have settled their patent disputes.
As part of this settlement both companies will enter into a cross-licensing agreement. 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. comScore also grants Nielsen worldwide licenses for the families of the four patents comScore asserted in litigation. Both parties agree not to bring any patent action against the other for the next three years. In addition, Nielsen has acquired approximately $19 million in comScore restricted common stock with neutral voting requirements, which Nielsen has agreed to hold for a period of one year minimum.
“We are pleased with this resolution,” said Steve Hasker, President, Media Products and Advertiser Solutions, Nielsen. “This agreement is supportive of and complements the substantial investments Nielsen has made in its intellectual property over the years. It also creates an incentive for our companies to explore potential forms of collaboration to better serve our clients.”
“We are pleased to put this matter behind us and to bolster our patent portfolio, enabling the application of this intellectual property to many areas involving the Web, such as ad visibility and Web engagement measurements,” said Dr. Magid Abraham, President & CEO, comScore. “We believe that the agreements we have reached signal a new phase of cooperation for our companies and enable us to better deliver the innovation and value the industry needs.”
This agreement settles both patent suits filed by the parties in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.