Finally E-Data has lost the "Freeny download patent"-battle :
Photo-licensing company Getty Images Inc. and competitor Corbis Corp. won a court ruling that they aren't infringing a European patent by allowing customers to download digital images. [...] Koos Rasser, a lawyer for Port Washington, N.Y.-based E-Data, said it wouldn't appeal the decision. ("Seattle Post: Getty and Corbis win image patent dispute")
See also the Financial Times, "Judge declares Freeny download patent invalid" and InternetNews, "Court Tosses Patent Case Against Corbis, Getty":
E-Data first sued Getty and Corbis, two digital stock photography providers that let users browse, license and download images online, in Europe in February 2004. It piled on the U.S. suit in May of that year.
Although the two suits were filed against the individual companies, they soon buddied up to present a united front against E-Data's claims. In London, the cases were joined for trial. E-Data's U.S. case against Corbis hasn't been resolved. [...]
Corbis and Getty also asked the courts to rule on the validity of the patent. In the UK, the judge invalidated the patent, leaving E-Data's licensing push in the lurch. E-Data executives weren't available for comment.
While the Freeny patent expired in the United States in 2003 and was set to expire in the EU in 2005, both countries' laws allow companies to sue for back damages, and E-Data had planned to do so.
Similar in "Court rules against E-Data in 'Freeny' patent case" (The Register). Among others, Apple had been willing to pay an undisclosed amount of royalties in August 2004 for the iTunes Music Store.
Here´s the link to the site "E-Data Facts" by Getty Images.
