Judge says no to Akamai request for Limelight ban

BOSTON (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge has denied Akamai Technologies Inc's request that she permanently ban Limelight Networks Inc from selling services that a jury ruled violates an Akamai patent, Limelight said on Tuesday.

A U.S. District Court jury in Boston had awarded Akamai $45.5 million in February after determining that Limelight's services infringe upon Akamai's intellectual property.

Both companies sell services that help speed delivery of Web content.

Judge Rya Zobel denied Akamai's motion for a permanent injunction as premature, Limelight said.

In a June 18 hearing, Zobel had said that she needed to review several other motions before considering Akamai's request for a permanent injunction.

A spokesman for Akamai declined to comment.

On Nasdaq, Limelight rose 6 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $3.88, and Akamai was up 59 cents, or 1.7 percent, at $35.38 shortly before the close.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle, editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Richard Chang)