Networking giant 3Com has filed a lawsuit against PC connectivity vendor Xircom for allegedly stealing patented electrical and computer communications device technologies.
John Geralds in Silicon Valley, vnunet.com02 Jun 2000
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Networking giant 3Com has filed a lawsuit against PC connectivity vendor Xircom for allegedly stealing patented electrical and computer communications device technologies.
The lawsuit, filed on 25 May, claims that Xircom, which makes communications cards to connect laptop computers to networks and mobile phones, "wilfully, wantonly and deliberately" used 3Com's patented inventions in its products.
3Com holds patents for electrical connectors and current surge-protectors for modems.
According to the lawsuit, "3Com has been and will continue to be damaged by the infringing conduct." In addition to the damages sought by 3Com, the company has asked a US court to stop Xircom from using 3Com's patented inventions.
Randy Holliday, company general counsel for Xircom, said: "The company is investigating the complaint and reviewing the patents."
Xircom first released its Pocket Lan Adapter in 1988. One of the company's most successful products is the RealPort integrated modem and network card.
3Com recently shipped its Megahertz 10/100 Lan + 56K Global Modem CardBus PC Card, for laptop PCs with a single connector that automatically senses whether the user is plugged into an ethernet network or an analogue telephone line.
PC connectivity tools vendor Xircom has served a patent infringement lawsuit against 3Com in the latest in a long-running dispute between the two networking companies. 25 Sep 2000
3Com has a new logo and a re-branded channel programme, but its relationship with enterprise resellers is still fragile after its bungled withdrawal from the high-end market. 31 May 2000
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