Visto wins patent infringement case

Mobile e-mail provider Visto announced a federal judge ordered rival Seven Networks to pay $7.7 million in damages stemming from infringement on three Visto patents, affirming a jury verdict reached eight months earlier. U.S. District Judge T. John Ward of Texas doubled the $3.6 million awarded Visto by a Lone Star State jury in April, citing accumulated interest and ordering Seven to pay its competitor's legal fees. Ward also issued a permanent injunction against Seven that was stayed pending appeal.

The ruling represents Visto's most lucrative victory to date in its ongoing efforts to protect the patents behind its mobile e-mail delivery platform. Visto previously sued Good Technology, Microsoft and Research in Motion.

"We are very pleased with the judge's decision, although this case was never about monetary damages for Visto," co-founder, EVP and CTO Daniel Mendez said in a prepared statement. "It was, and is, about protecting the rights of inventors and ensuring that innovative mobile e-mail products remain accessible to all consumers around the world. Without the protection enshrined in the U.S, Constitution and embodied in the Patent system, there would be a lack of incentive for technology innovators, ultimately resulting in higher costs, compromised quality and stalled progress."

For more on the Visto victory:
- read this release

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- Seven snags $42M in VC funding