Online DVD rental service Netflix has settled a patent infringement lawsuit against Blockbuster, ending an attempt to thwart the rapid growth of its biggest rival. Terms of the settlement were kept confidential. In Securities and Exchange Commission documents filed Wednesday, Blockbuster said the settlement won't affect its future performance. U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco dismissed the 14-month-old case Tuesday at the request of both companies, averting a jury trial scheduled to begin in September. The secrecy surrounding the settlement raises the possibility that the two rivals had reached a "sweetheart agreement" that may stifle competition, said Scott Kamber, a New York lawyer who has filed a separate lawsuit alleging that Netflix abused the patent process in an attempt to monopolize the market for online DVD rentals.

Posted by GEN-ERIC at 12:10:47 am into the following categories: In The News

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