Security News > 2020 > October > Cisco Ordered to Pay $1.9 Billion in Cybersecurity Patent Infringement Case
A US district judge has ordered Cisco to pay $1.9 billion to Centripetal Networks, Inc., for infringing on four patents related to cybersecurity.
The company has developed technology for operationalizing and automating threat intelligence and has been awarded various patents in the United States and abroad. In a lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Virginia in March 2018, the company claimed that numerous Cisco product series have been infringing on five of its patents for years.
"Cisco has willfully infringed each of the Asserted Patents. Centripetal is informed and believes that Cisco had knowledge of the Asserted Patents through various channels and despite its knowledge of Centripetal's patent rights, engaged in egregious behavior warranting enhanced damages," the company said in the initial filing.
The company also claimed that, although it knew of the Centripetal patented technology, Cisco continued to sell products infringing on those patents and made no effort to avoid infringement.
"We are disappointed with the trial court's decision given the substantial evidence of non-infringement, invalidity and that Cisco's innovations predate the patents by many years," Cisco said.