RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Our business news begins with a $1.5 billion penalty over patent.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: A federal jury has ordered Microsoft to pay what could be one of the largest fines ever awarded in a patent lawsuit. The dispute is over MP3 technology, which is at the heart of the music download boom. Yesterday's ruling is a victory for Lucent Technology, now owned by the European network equipment maker Alcatel. The company accused Microsoft of infringing two of its patents. Yesterday's verdict could ripple across the digital music industry. Now, Microsoft is asking the court to set aside some or all of the verdict or else it will appeal.
A federal jury has ordered Microsoft to pay more than $1.5 billion in damages to resolve a dispute over the MP3 technology at the heart of the music download boom. The ruling is a victory for Lucent Technologies.