Adobe Owes $33.8 Million After Anti-Piracy Tech Patent Trial (1)

Adobe Inc. must pay ViaTech Technologies Inc. $33.8 million after a federal jury in Delaware found the anti-piracy technology in its software such as Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator infringes a patent for a software-licensing system.

Jurors also upheld the validity of ViaTech’s US Patent No. 6,920,567, which covers its eLicense system for protecting and distributing software, according to a verdict issued Wednesday in the US District Court for the District of Delaware.

An Adobe spokesperson said the company is “disappointed” by the verdict but is “exploring all post trial and appellate options.”

Attorneys representing ViaTech didn’t ...