Two weeks after a Utah jury returned a $469 million verdict against DISH Network in a patent infringement case, Baker Botts attorneys won a motion for judgment as a matter of law – vacating the verdict and handing DISH a clear win. Utah-based ClearPlay sued Dish eight years ago, alleging DISH’s commercial skipping features infringed ClearPlay’s patents. Baker Botts cut the potential liability through a successful summary judgment finding. After a two-week trial in March 2023, the jury found that DISH infringed ClearPlay’s patents. U.S. District Judge David Nuffer then ruled that DISH’s AutoHop feature, which allows viewers to automatically skip commercials when playing back certain recorded programs, did not infringe on ClearPlay’s patents. The judge found that ClearPlay’s “claims for literal infringement, infringement under the doctrine of equivalents, induced infringement, and willful infringement fail as a matter of law.”

Baker Botts Intellectual Property attorneys in Palo Alto, New York, and Washington, D.C. represent DISH: partners G. Hopkins Guy III, Kurt Pankratz, Lauren Dreyer, Jamie Lynn, Eliot Williams, Ali Dhanani and Robert Maier; special counsel Eric Faragi; senior associates Samuel L. Kassa, Bethany R. Salpietra and Steve Maule; and associates Lori Ding and Chelsea Zhang.

ABOUT BAKER BOTTS L.L.P.
Baker Botts is an international law firm whose lawyers practice throughout a network of offices around the globe. Based on our experience and knowledge of our clients' industries, we are recognized as a leading firm in the energy, technology and life sciences sectors. Since 1840, we have provided creative and effective legal solutions for our clients while demonstrating an unrelenting commitment to excellence. For more information, please visit bakerbotts.com.