Nikon VS Sigma in $14.5m VR patient battle

Nikon VS Sigma in $14.5m VR patient battle: Sigma forced to pay for infringing VR paitent

In a case that has been on going since 2011, Sigma has been found guilty of infringing a patent describing a technology used in Nikon’s ‘Vibration Reduction’ optical image stabilization system.

Tokyo District Court Judge in Chief Shigeru Osuga found that Sigma’s optical image stabilization system uses 15% of Nikon’s patented VR technology, and thus awarded Nikon the same amount of Sigma’s profits made from the accused products – six lenses that aren’t further specified – in compensation. The total sum that the court awarded to Nikon is JPY1.5bn, which is about US$14.5m at current exchange rates. The figure is a lot less than the $120m that Nikon originally wanted.

Unless Sigma is going to appeal the ruling, it will now have to pay royalties to Nikon for all future lenses featuring the same stabilization technology. It sounds like the Sigma Vs Nikon case is far from settled.

Nikon VS Sigma in $14.5m VR patient battle