The verdict, made public on Friday, concluded that GoDaddy’s website design and building tools violated two patents held by Express Mobile. The company, founded by former IBM engineer Steven Rempell, develops and licenses technology for internet and mobile web applications.
In its lawsuit filed in 2019, Express Mobile accused GoDaddy of incorporating patented innovations into its website creation tools without authorization. The jury agreed with the claims, finding GoDaddy liable for infringing Express Mobile’s intellectual property.
Express Mobile’s attorney, Jay Nuttall, described the decision as “an outstanding result for our client that confirms the value of Express Mobile’s foundational patents.”
GoDaddy, based in Tempe, Arizona, rejected the verdict and vowed to continue contesting the claims. In a statement, the company said it “disagrees with the verdict and will vigorously fight it in the district court and on appeal, if necessary.”
The ruling adds to a series of legal clashes between Express Mobile and major technology companies over similar patents. In 2022, Express Mobile won a $40 million judgment against e-commerce platform Shopify, though that verdict was later overturned by a federal judge. GoDaddy itself secured a favorable verdict in a related case in 2023, when another jury dismissed similar infringement claims.
The latest decision underscores the high stakes surrounding intellectual property disputes in the web services industry, where companies continue to battle over ownership and use of digital design technologies that power millions of online businesses.