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Farella Braun + Martel Settles Patent Infringement Case for $2,000,000 after Sweeping Claim Construction

April 11, 2005 Announcement

SAN FRANCISCO: (April 11, 2005):  Farella Braun + Martel LLP today announced a $2,000,000 settlement of a computer security patent infringement suit brought by its clients Andrew Pickholtz and 353 Patent LLC, an affiliate of Rainbow Technologies, Inc. and SafeNet against Aladdin Knowledge Systems, Ltd. and its U.S. subsidiary.

Farella Braun + Martel’s clients filed the suit on May 19, 2004 before Judge William H. Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California alleging that certain of Aladdin's Software Digital Rights Management (DRM) products infringed the plaintiffs' patent, covering Mr. Pickholtz's invention restricting unauthorized use of pirated computer software. 

Farella Braun + Martel attorneys Rod Thompson, Alex Potente, and Lucas Huizar along with Andrew Pickholtz, in his role as an attorney, secured a $2 million settlement after successfully defeating Aladdin's jurisdictional challenges, winning all contested claim constructions and receiving favorable orders on many discovery issues, including an award of sanctions for the defendants' discovery abuse.  The settlement was reached on April 6, 2005 and was finalized without incurring the additional expense of taking or defending any depositions.

About Farella Braun + Martel LLP
Since its founding in 1962, Farella Braun + Martel has achieved a national reputation for the acumen of its business practice, the high profile cases of its complex commercial litigation practice and its prestigious client base. The San Francisco-based firm serves a diverse group of clients from multinational corporations to emerging businesses. The firm also has an office in the Napa Valley focused on the wine industry and related businesses. 

Contact:
Cheryl Loof
415.954.4433

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