A jury has awarded a Tecumseh heavy equipment manufacturer more than $1.5 million in a patent infringement dispute. Dickson Industries Inc. was awarded $503,873 in actual damages and almost $1.04 million in punitive damages. The jury found defendant Patent Enforcement Team LLC's patent was invalid and that the company acted "intentionally and with malice" by suing or threatening Dickson's customers. The jury verdict was made on Sept. 28. It is rare that a company is awarded punitive damages in such a patent dispute, said John Kenney, the lead attorney representing Dickson. "The jury has to find that the actions were malicious and harmful," Kenney said. "The general law is that patent owners have the right to enforce patents. Only when they step over the line do they qualify for punitive damages."