DirecTV Wins Appeal, Discloses CEO Pay

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A federal court of appeals on Friday sent a patent-infringement suit against DirecTV Group Inc. to a lower court, vacating decisions that called for DirecTV to pay more than $100 million.


The case was brought by Sunnyvale-based technology company Finisar Corp. in 2006, which owned a patent that covered a high-speed data-transmission process. The appeals court ruled that one of seven patent claims it made is invalid, leaving the other six claims for reconsideration by a trial court. The appeals court ruled the district court “incorrectly construed a vital term” and made other errors. A new trial is necessary.


Finisar said it expects that the six remaining claims will be found valid.


Finisar had been awarded $79 million by the jury and the judge overseeing the case tacked on $25 million, as well as ordered interest on the jury verdict.


In a separate filing, El Segundo-based DirecTV said it paid Chief Executive Chase Carey compensation of $13.9 million in 2007 a 12 percent raise over 2006 despite shares dropping 7.6 percent during 2007.


Shares in DirecTV were up 1.7 percent to $26.22 in early trading Monday.

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