XpresSpa Group Inc (XSPA)

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Post by edvacourt on YMB:



Post trial Update: Judge throws down the Obviousness trump card

By edvacourt.28 minutes ago.Permalink
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With obviousness now out of the way the options for Google are basically to appeal to hell and back or settle. By laying this card down in an early Thanksgiving gift to Vringo the Judge has put more pressure on the parties (and particularly Google) to settle. If Google enters a motion for judgement notwithstanding the verdict (which is an attempt to get exactly what it sounds like) that motion will likely be DOA and Google knows it. There are many well informed longs who could see the upside here but were worried about the remote possibility that the judge would overrule the jury's verdict on validity by finding obviousness (I had that possibility at 10% mainly because I was surprised by the laches ruling). With this ruling the Judge has shown deference to the jury. I have said all along that the judge will use these kind of trump cards to steer this case toward conclusion. I believe the next thing for the Judge to rule on will include hard numbers that will disadvantage Google even further in negotiations. See my latest Seeking Alpha instablog for some background. I think the judge in affirming the decision by both parties to grant each other more time to calculate interest on damages and also throwing out the obviousness card is essentially imploring them to get a deal done in that time frame or he throws out the next card. I admit surprise that this stock is not over $4 right now because the risk balloon pretty much just had the air taken out of it.