Waikato University's commercial arm WaikatoLink and bee products company Comvita are both claiming victory following a Tauranga High Court decision.
The court has ordered Comvita pay WaikatoLink $2.5 million for patents and intellectual property rights associated with the antibacterial and other properties of manuka honey.

Comvita is to pay WaikatoLink $2.5 million.

Comvita issued a statement to the New Zealand Stock Exchange saying Comvita has been awarded $1m compensation for misleading or deceptive conduct by WaikatoLink.
WaikatoLink claimed judgment for $3.5m, but Comvita was entitled to set-off against this liability the sum of $1m, says Justice Rhys Harrison in the judgment handed down on Friday.
Because $1.5m has already been paid in cash and by shares, WaikatoLink is entitled to judgment for the shortfall of $1m.
WaikatoLink chief executive Mark Stuart says WaikatoLink is taking legal advice over whether to appeal the court's finding that although WaikatoLink acted honestly and in good faith, Comvita was misled by its conduct.
Mr Stuart said the court concluded Comvita was equally to blame for any loss it suffered as a result of the deal.
The court case heard arguments over a deal announced between the two in December 2006 as being worth $4m.
When the deal was made, the university was researching manuka honey's antibacterial factor - which was isolated the following year by Professor Thomas Henle, at the Technical University of Dresden.
That technology was taken up by Te Awamutu company, Manuka Health - a rival of Comvita. Mediation between the parties in 2008 failed.