A dispute between Thomson Reuters and ROSS Intelligence regarding an alleged violation of the Westlaw research platform’s intellectual property rights is set to go in front of a jury, according to a recent statement by a federal judge in Delaware. Both parties had sought victories ahead of trial, but these applications were for the most part rejected.
The judge underscored that it wasn’t their role at this phase to “tidy… factual messes,” implying that the intricacies of the allegations and counterclaims should be thoroughly scrutinized before any significant decisions are made. As the case moves forward, both Thomson Reuters’ and ROSS Intelligence’s arguments will be put to the test under judicial analysis.
With Thomson Reuters and ROSS Intelligence being significant actors within the legal-tech sector, the case’s outcome may carry important implications for similar future disputes as well as possibly setting a precedent for how intellectual property cases involving software are adjudicated.
For those interested in exploring the core of the case, more details on the evolving story can be found on Law360.