A jury in the Eastern District of Texas on Monday cleared Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Co. of infringing an Ethernet patent owned by Network-1 Technologies Inc., in a decision that could have major ramifications for the patent- licensing company going forward.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. might have looked a bit foolhardy in defending a patent case over technology that other mega-companies had decided to license. But against the odds, HPE’s three-firm trial team secured a knockout win.