Analytics firms, Nielsen Holdings and comScore today announced the companies have settled their patent disputes.

The two companies have sued each other over various patents that generally cover the use of monitoring software inside mobile phones. M:Metrics, now owned by Comscore won an early round back in 2007, when it was found to have not breached patents held by Telephia, now called Nielsen Mobile.

As part of this settlement both companies will enter into a cross-licensing agreement. Subject to retained rights by Nielsen, comScore will acquire ownership of the four Nielsen families of patents asserted in litigation, a portfolio with many U.S. and international patents. comScore also grants Nielsen worldwide licenses for the families of the four patents comScore asserted in litigation.

Both parties agree not to bring any patent action against the other for the next three years. In addition, Nielsen has acquired approximately US$19 million in comScore restricted common stock with neutral voting requirements, which Nielsen has agreed to hold for a period of one year minimum.

"We are pleased to put this matter behind us and to bolster our patent portfolio, enabling the application of this intellectual property to many areas involving the Web, such as ad visibility and Web engagement measurements," said Dr. Magid Abraham, President & CEO, comScore. "We believe that the agreements we have reached signal a new phase of cooperation for our companies and enable us to better deliver the innovation and value the industry needs."

This agreement settles both patent suits filed by the parties in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.