Professor William W. Fisher, who teaches a course on intellectual property at the law school, said the University had a strong position going into trial and came out ahead as a result of the settlement.
"Harvard went into this discussion with a leg up--they probably didn't have to give up anything," Fisher said. "Most often, settlement arises because parties on both sides are reluctant to keep paying their lawyers."
Powered claimed that the notHarvard name was merely an internal code name that stuck and said it had been planning to change its name since early May.
The whole dispute was "an amazing case of bad timing," according to Mark Gonzales, acting vice president of marketing for the company.
The signed settlement was submitted in U.S. District Court yesterday and awaits final approval by Judge Reginald C. Lindsay.