SAP writes $480M check to finally end IP legal spat with Teradata
(2026/03/02)
- Reference: 1772460910
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/03/02/sap_teradata_settlement/
- Source link:
Data warehousing and analytics biz Teradata and SAP have ended their long-running legal dispute after the German ERP vendor agreed to cough up $480 million to bring the fighting to a close.
According to an SEC filing last month, the two parties entered into a settlement agreement to "resolve all past and pending litigation" between them, including allegations that SAP violated antitrust law.
"As a result of the [agreement], Teradata will receive a gross payment of $480 million… Upon Teradata's receipt of the settlement, the parties will request that the court dismiss all claims, defenses and counterclaims with prejudice," [1]the statement said .
[2]
The net amount after fees is expected to be $355 million to $362 million before taxes, Teradata said.
[3]
[4]
In June 2018, [5]Teradata sued SAP , alleging the database giant undertook a "decade-long campaign of trade secret misappropriation, copyright infringement and antitrust violations."
Teradata alleged that SAP used its strength in the ERP market to "lure" it into a joint venture in 2008 and then "quickly grab market share" in data warehousing. In September the same year, [6]SAP tried to get the lawsuit thrown out for good, arguing it was "factually groundless." By December, [7]a California court dismissed the request .
[8]Dell wants £10m+ from VMware if Tesco case goes against it
[9]Britain's creaking courts to use Copilot for transcriptions
[10]Law firms seek investors' support in Teradata class action
[11]IBM sues Micro Focus, claims it copied Big Blue mainframe software
According to [12]a regulatory filing [PDF] by Teradata for the quarter ending in September 2025, SAP filed patent infringement counterclaims in July 2019. In August 2020, Teradata filed a second lawsuit against SAP, alleging infringement of four of its US patents. In February 2021, SAP lodged additional patent infringement counterclaims and launched a lawsuit in Germany for infringement of a single German patent.
In November 2021, Teradata's antitrust claims and most of its trade secret claims in the first suit were dismissed. It then appealed. As a result, a three-judge panel heard oral arguments in February 2024, following which Teradata and SAP entered into a partial settlement.
[13]
Then in December 2024, a court panel overturned a summary judgment decision against Teradata. In January last year, SAP tried unsuccessfully to get a rehearing. Later, SAP petitioned the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case. A trial had been scheduled to begin with jury selection at the end of March 2026.
According to the latest filing, the dispute – the result of alleged conduct dating back nearly two decades – has finally concluded. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/816761/000162828026010578/tdc-20260219.htm
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/databases&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aaXCN-QwGnFUsOJROnivSwAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/databases&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aaXCN-QwGnFUsOJROnivSwAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[5] https://www.theregister.com/2018/09/03/sap_response_teradata_lawsuit/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2018/06/20/teradata_lobs_sueball_at_sap/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2018/12/17/sap_cant_throw_off_teradata_lawsuit_over_copyright_antitrust
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/15/dell_vmware_claim_tesco_case/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/26/copilot_courts_system/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/17/teradata_would_be_classactions/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/22/ibm_sues_micro_focus_for/
[12] https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000816761/9c9b063e-b5ab-4eb2-ae3c-39b658fee804.pdf
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/databases&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aaXCN-QwGnFUsOJROnivSwAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
According to an SEC filing last month, the two parties entered into a settlement agreement to "resolve all past and pending litigation" between them, including allegations that SAP violated antitrust law.
"As a result of the [agreement], Teradata will receive a gross payment of $480 million… Upon Teradata's receipt of the settlement, the parties will request that the court dismiss all claims, defenses and counterclaims with prejudice," [1]the statement said .
[2]
The net amount after fees is expected to be $355 million to $362 million before taxes, Teradata said.
[3]
[4]
In June 2018, [5]Teradata sued SAP , alleging the database giant undertook a "decade-long campaign of trade secret misappropriation, copyright infringement and antitrust violations."
Teradata alleged that SAP used its strength in the ERP market to "lure" it into a joint venture in 2008 and then "quickly grab market share" in data warehousing. In September the same year, [6]SAP tried to get the lawsuit thrown out for good, arguing it was "factually groundless." By December, [7]a California court dismissed the request .
[8]Dell wants £10m+ from VMware if Tesco case goes against it
[9]Britain's creaking courts to use Copilot for transcriptions
[10]Law firms seek investors' support in Teradata class action
[11]IBM sues Micro Focus, claims it copied Big Blue mainframe software
According to [12]a regulatory filing [PDF] by Teradata for the quarter ending in September 2025, SAP filed patent infringement counterclaims in July 2019. In August 2020, Teradata filed a second lawsuit against SAP, alleging infringement of four of its US patents. In February 2021, SAP lodged additional patent infringement counterclaims and launched a lawsuit in Germany for infringement of a single German patent.
In November 2021, Teradata's antitrust claims and most of its trade secret claims in the first suit were dismissed. It then appealed. As a result, a three-judge panel heard oral arguments in February 2024, following which Teradata and SAP entered into a partial settlement.
[13]
Then in December 2024, a court panel overturned a summary judgment decision against Teradata. In January last year, SAP tried unsuccessfully to get a rehearing. Later, SAP petitioned the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case. A trial had been scheduled to begin with jury selection at the end of March 2026.
According to the latest filing, the dispute – the result of alleged conduct dating back nearly two decades – has finally concluded. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/816761/000162828026010578/tdc-20260219.htm
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/databases&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aaXCN-QwGnFUsOJROnivSwAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/databases&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aaXCN-QwGnFUsOJROnivSwAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/databases&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aaXCN-QwGnFUsOJROnivSwAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2018/09/03/sap_response_teradata_lawsuit/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2018/06/20/teradata_lobs_sueball_at_sap/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2018/12/17/sap_cant_throw_off_teradata_lawsuit_over_copyright_antitrust
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/15/dell_vmware_claim_tesco_case/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/26/copilot_courts_system/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/17/teradata_would_be_classactions/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/22/ibm_sues_micro_focus_for/
[12] https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000816761/9c9b063e-b5ab-4eb2-ae3c-39b658fee804.pdf
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/databases&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aaXCN-QwGnFUsOJROnivSwAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/