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RSS feedsNetworking giant 3Com said it is making an effort to amicably resolve a lawsuit it filed against PC connectivity tools vendor Xircom.
On 25 May, 3Com filed a patent infringement lawsuit at a US court but decided not to serve it on Xircom. Instead, the company has proposed a licensing agreement which is being reviewed by Xircom, according to 3Com spokeswoman. The lawsuit alleges that Xircom stole patented electrical and computer communications device technologies.
At issue are two sets of 3Com laptop PC card patents that address form factor and performance. The first patent describes a so-called contact block that provides an electrical connection when a modular plug is inserted into the integrated connector of a PC card.
The second refers to 3Com's exclusive Digital Line Guard technology, which protects the PC card from damage due to excessive voltage if accidentally connected to digital or private branch exchange phone lines.
The networking giant alleges that Xircom "wilfully, wantonly and deliberately" used 3Com's patented inventions in its products. 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 also asked a judge to stop Xircom from using its patented inventions.
Xircom, which designs and develops communications options, first introduced its Pocket Lan Adapter in 1988. One of the company's most successful product is its Realport integrated modem and network card.
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