PIPE settles out of court with Market Clarity

PIPE Networks has settled out of court with Market Clarity over the analyst firm's allegedly unauthorised reproduction of detailed PIPE network maps in its research.

Chief executive of PIPE, Bevan Slattery, said today that Market Clarity had agreed to pay "a sum of money" to settle the matter.

The analyst firm also agreed to "reduce the detail" of their depiction of PIPE's network in Market Clarity's Australian Telecom Infrastructure Atlas 2009.

PIPE's network would now be "depicted in a 'logical diagram' fashion, and a disclaimer inserted to make plain that Market Clarity has not verified the accuracy of the maps".

Market Clarity was to also notify PIPE in advance of any proposed changes to the depiction of PIPE's network assets in the Atlas.

The settlement resulted from mediation ordered by the Federal Court, as revealed by iTnews.

"This settlement is not a reflection on the strength of PIPE's case, but rather that PIPE was able to obtain a satisfactory outcome without the time and expense of going to trial," Slattery said.

"PIPE values both its intellectual property and its reputation very highly. [We] will vigorously pursue anyone who it believes has infringed its intellectual property."

PIPE had lodged an application back in April for injunctive relief restraining Market Clarity from reproducing, licensing, publishing or communicating to the public maps of PIPE Networks' fibre optic cables.

Market Clarity lawyers had been contacted for comment.

News of the settlement came less than 24 hours after SP Telecom lodged a $373 million bid for PIPE.