Colleges Await High-Stakes Court Verdict in Patent Case

Trial in lawsuit over course-management software begins in Texas

The long-awaited showdown between Blackboard Inc. and Desire2Learn Inc. began this month in a federal courtroom here as lawyers described the humble beginnings of two of the fiercest competitors in the classroom-software industry.

The presidents of both companies, flanked by teams of lawyers, listened intently as their lawyers described how young men in their early to mid-20s had helped start companies that are

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