Sirius XM to Face One-Day Trial in 8-Year Patent-License Fight

Sirius XM Radio Inc. will face a one-day bench trial on whether it built its high-band satellite system on the assumption it was licensed to use a German company’s patented technology, a federal judge ruled.

Judge Joseph F. Bataillon granted Sirius’ request for a bench trial on equitable estoppel and denied Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung eV’s bid for a jury, according to an order issued Monday in the US District Court for the District of Delaware. Bataillon said equitable estoppel is generally for judges to decide and bifurcated the defense for a stand-alone trial tentatively scheduled for Nov. ...