Judge throws out $533M verdict against Apple, sets damages trial

(Reuters) – A federal judge has thrown out a $532.9 million damages award against Apple Inc after a jury found that its iTunes software infringed three patents owned by a Texas company.

In a decision on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap said his jury instructions might have “skewed” jurors’ understanding of the damages that Apple should pay SmartFlash LLC, a licensing company that held the patents in dispute.

Gilstrap set a new trial only on the issue of damages for Sept. 14 in Tyler, Texas.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)