SAS awarded damages in trial against World Programming
WPL found liable for fraud and software license breach
A federal jury found that World Programming Ltd. (WPL) violated its software license for SAS Learning Edition by reverse engineering portions of the product to create its World Programming System software (WPS) and using the SAS Learning Edition for production purposes. As a result, SAS has been awarded $26.4 million in damages.
In addition, the jury found that WPL committed fraud and awarded SAS another $3 million in punitive damages. The jury also found WPL violated the NC Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which mandates the awarding of trebled damages to SAS, with the cumulative judgment totaling over $79 million. SAS will next seek a permanent injunction against the sale or use of WPS in the United States.
“The proof we were able to share with the jury resulted in a fairly quick verdict that validated what we’ve always known: that WPL was clearly engaging in unfair and illegal acts,” said John Boswell, Chief Legal Counsel for SAS. “It is gratifying that the U.S. enforces software license agreements and that companies will be held to the promises they make in those agreements. While there are still some pending decisions to be made, we can put the bulk of this trial behind us and continue doing business as we always have – developing innovative software that makes a difference in our customer’s businesses, and in their customer’s lives.”
SAS was represented at trial by Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP.
Desiree Adkins
desiree.adkins@sas.com
919-531-0736
www.sas.com/news
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