According to a statement posted on the ClearOne website, the plaintiff has been awarded approximately $3.5 million in compensatory damages and $7.0 million in punitive damages.
Biamp was named as co-defendant (alongside WideBand Solutions) in a suit which claimed that it knowingly licensed an acoustic echo-cancelling algorithm from a third party that ClearOne alleges was stolen from them.
According to Biamp, the company stopped using the software in question prior to the filing of the lawsuit. It has denied any knowledge or guilt in the case and maintains that the facts do not support the claims.
“We were shocked when we were named in this lawsuit,” said Biamp Systems’ president, Ralph Lockhart (pictured). “We had absolutely no knowledge of any wrongdoing by our licensing partner, and we stand firmly by our innocence in this case. We are absolutely committed to clearing our name by vigorously appealing the matter to a higher court. Abiding by this decision would imply that Biamp engaged in unethical activity, and I can assure everyone that we are innocent of the claims against us, and vow to continue fighting until we prove it.”
Biamp says that it expects to receive word on the final judgement from the District Court of Central Utah in the coming weeks, after which it plans to file for an appeal.
II’s requests to ClearOne for a new statement had gone unanswered at press time. However, the aforementioned statement on the website notes that while the company “intends to vigorously pursue collection of the damage awards, collectability of the judgements cannot be guaranteed. Furthermore, the jury’s verdict and damage awards are subject to appeal by one or more of the defendants.”
In other, more positive news for Biamp, the company has announced that a number of its amplifier products have been designated ENERGY STAR qualified in line with the latter group’s regulations concerning energy efficiency. The products in question are the CPA130 and CPA650 commercial power amplifiers, the IWA250 in-wall powered mixers, the MCA Series multichannel amplifiers, and the MPA250 multi-purpose amplifier.
“The long-term benefits of energy efficiency and environmental protection have motivated Biamp’s decision to partner with ENERGY STAR, and we will continue to strive to be a good corporate citizen,” said Lockhart. “This move also signals our continued achievement in reaching compliance with environmental standards worldwide, while maintaining the highest quality of products and without increasing prices.”
