Oct 20 (Reuters) – Zynga convinced a jury in Austin, Texas on Friday to find that its slot-machine games do not infringe a mobile gaming patent owned by gambling-technology company IGT (IGT.N).
The jury determined after a five-day trial that Zynga did not violate IGT’s patent rights in technology that allows mobile games to continue operating through interruptions in communications, and that the patent was invalid.
A spokesperson for IGT declined to comment on the verdict. Zynga spokesperson Alan Lewis said the company was “pleased that the jury came to the right conclusion,” and called the allegations “entirely without merit.”
IGT sued San Mateo, California-based Zynga in 2021. IGT, known for its gambling products like lottery, video poker and slot machines, said it developed the patented technology at issue in the case for its portfolio of remote casino games.
IGT had alleged that Zynga’s “Hit It Rich,” “Black Diamond Casino” and “Game of Thrones”-branded mobile slot-machine games infringed the patent.
The court in January split off IGT’s allegations over three related patents into a separate case, which has been paused during appeals of a U.S. Patent Office tribunal’s decisions to declare them invalid.
The case is IGT v. Zynga Inc, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, No. 1:23-cv-00885.
For IGT: Leif Sigmond of Baker & Hostetler
For Zynga: Alyssa Caridis, Clement Roberts, Bas de Blank, Libby Moulton and Sten Jensen of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
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Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
