The online lending exchange LendingTree, a subsidiary of Charlotte, N.C.-based Tree Inc., struck out on Wednesday in a patent infringement trial against the Internet companies Nextag Inc., Zillow Inc., and Adchemy Inc. The verdict is a win for defense lawyers at Cooley and Fenwick & West.
A federal jury in Charlotte determined that the defendants didn’t infringe LendingTree patents covering a process of matching borrowers with lenders. Jurors also found the patents to be invalid on the grounds that they failed to identify the correct inventor.
