Arbitron Inc. settles in the Portable People Meter patent infringement lawsuit.

Arbitron Inc. announced that it reached two separate settlement agreements with Ipsos, S.A., Ipsos America, Inc., and Ipsos UK, Ltd., and with International Demographics, Inc. (d/b/a The Media Audit). Both settlement agreements relating to the patent infringement lawsuit that Arbitron filed against IPSOS and The Media Audit on October 10, 2006 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

Arbitron’s patent infringement lawsuit alleged that IPSOS and The Media Audit infringed three U.S. patents relating to the Portable People Meter electronic audience measurement technology developed by Arbitron. (U.S. Patent Nos. 5,787,334; 5,574,962 and 5,483,276.)

On October 23, 2008, Arbitron and The Media Audit entered into a settlement agreement in which The Media Audit acknowledged that the three Arbitron U.S. patents were valid, enforceable, and not otherwise subject to any equitable defenses. The Media Audit further agreed that, until the expiration of all three Arbitron U.S. patents, they would not make, use, sell, offer for sale, test, demonstrate, distribute, or otherwise engage in activities that potentially infringe the three valid and enforceable Arbitron U.S. patents. The settlement agreement by The Media Audit applies to any systems, methods, devices, or the like, including but not limited to the “Smart Cell Phone” developed by IPSOS, and was previously marketed by The Media Audit in the United States.

On January 13, 2009, Arbitron and IPSOS reached a settlement agreement effectively dismissing Arbitron’s patent infringement lawsuit without prejudice against IPSOS. As a result, IPSOS agreed to immediately suspend any and all efforts in the United States related to commercialization, testing, and/or marketing a portable electronics measurement system with regard to any and all forms of media until at least January 13, 2012.