B&N Nook legal matter settled

NEW YORK -- Barnes & Noble's legal matters related to its Nook e-reader may be resolved, as the company announced that it has settled a lawsuit brought against the company by Spring Design Inc. Spring Design initiated legal action against Barnes & Noble in November 2009, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, claiming that the bookseller illegally copied the screen design of the Spring Alex e-reader.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Spring Design will grant Barnes & Noble a non-exclusive, paid-up royalty free license for the entire portfolio of Spring Design patents and patent applications.

Eugene DeFelice, VP general counsel and secretary of Barnes & Noble Inc., said, “We are pleased to put this matter behind us. Nook ColorTM and NookTM, together with Spring Design’s patents and patent applications, have become two of our most innovative and highly-sought after devices. Barnes & Noble is pleased to add Spring Design’s patents and patent applications as a complementary addition to our rapidly growing digital portfolio.”