Sony to Pay Ampex $40 Million to Settle Patent Dispute

Sony Corp. agreed to pay at least $40 million to Ampex Corp. to resolve a dispute over patents related to digital cameras, sending Ampex shares soaring 90%, their biggest one-day jump ever. Sony, the world's No. 2 consumer-electronics maker, will get a license to use Ampex technology through April 2006 and agreed to pay royalties thereafter for digital videotape recorders and digital still cameras that use Ampex inventions.