Sorry to confuse you.  Three years ago, in the world of patent infringement, wasn't that long ago, not to mention the line I bolded to indicate the time the patent was granted and then focus on the year of the settlement....2003.

The three men filed for a patent in 1994 and were awarded it in 1998.

EDIG's patents have been around for some time.  Looking forward to seeing results from these company assets.