The Court of Appeal has handed down a further significant judgment in the patent dispute between British Telecommunications plc and ASSIA, Inc.

International law firm Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co is advising ASSIA on the ongoing dispute.

The court granted a final injunction, resulting in BT switching off its Next Generation Access Dynamic Line Management (NGA DLM) system at 6am last Friday, 21 November.

Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co IP partner David Barron said: "This latest judgment from the Court of Appeal further vindicates ASSIA's determination to seek proper recompense for BT's use of ASSIA's cutting-edge DSL technology."

ASSIA will now proceed with its claim for damages, which it believes will amount to many millions of pounds.  BT will also have to pay a significant proportion of ASSIA's legal costs.  BT has been refused permission to appeal, but has yet to indicate whether it will seek permission directly from the Supreme Court.

IP partners David Barron and Alexandra Brodie led the Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co team, assisted by associates Andrew Maggs and Tom Foster. The team worked closely with ASSIA's general counsel Noah Mesel and barristers Iain Purvis QC (11 South Square) and Joe Delaney (3 New Square).

The Court of Appeal handed down its first judgment in this case on 11 November. At that time, the court ruled that BT's flagship Infinity 1 and Infinity 2 broadband system (referred to as "NGA" in the judgment) infringed two of ASSIA's patents in the field of dynamic spectrum management.

California-based ASSIA is a pioneer in the field of DSL technology, providing software and consultancy services to many of the world's leading broadband companies, including AT&T, Verizon and Sky.

Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co advises on the full range of IP issues from offices in the UK, Germany, France and China.