US jury cuts Tata Consultancy Services' $940M fine in Epic 'trade secrets' lawsuit: 4 things to know

A U.S. jury reevaluated the $940 million in damages Tata Consultancy Services, a software services exporter, was ordered to pay Epic after the Mumbai, India-based company was found guilty of stealing trade secrets, according to Reuters.

Here are four things to know about the verdict.

1. Epic initially sued Tata in 2014, accusing the consultancy of stealing trade secrets to support Med Mantra, a competing healthcare software provider, according to a separate Reuters report. The lawsuit alleged Tata inappropriately downloaded information related to software it was hired to help install at Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. Epic amended its complaint in 2015.

2. A jury in Wisconsin found Tata guilty of illegally accessing Epic information in April 2016. The jury awarded Epic $940 million in damages based on the trade secret lawsuit, which included seven claims such as breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets. The $940 million in damages comprised $240 million in compensatory damages and $700 million in punitive damages.

3. However, in an appeal to the decision, a U.S. jury reduced the damages by more than 50 percent, Tata announced Oct. 1, according to Reuters. The jury awarded Epic $420 million in damages.

4. Tata continues to deny any wrongdoing and plans to continue its appeal, according to Reuters.

"The company has received legal advice to the effect that the order and the reduced damages awarded are not supported by evidence presented during the trial and a strong appeal can be made to superior court to fully set aside the jury verdict," the Tata said in a statement.

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