Search

The article reports on the acquisition battle between Mentor Graphics Corp. and Cadence Design Systems Inc. which is similar to the Microsoft Corp.-Yahoo Inc. battle for control in the U.S. After about two months of talks, Cadence Design quickly launched a bid for Mentor Graphics for $1.6 billion which was rebuffed by Mentor. Differences in details between the two deals may not matter much, however, the egos at play matter which might affect the electronic design automation market.

Focuses on the United States District Court's preliminary injunction against Avant!'s Aquarius place-and-route software tools. Legal victory for Avant!'s rival Cadence Design Systems; Claims by Cadence that Avant!'s data structures are similar to Cadence's corresponding data structures; Implications of the injunction; Court's decision to lift the stay on proceedings and open the path for a trial in the civil case.

Focuses on the reaction of semiconductor executives and other integrated circuit (IC) place-and-route tool users to the legal dispute between manufacturers Cadence Design Systems and Avant! Corp. Users' need for next-generation place-and-route technology; Cadence's claim that Avant! stole its source code; Impact of place-and-route difficulties on a semiconductor company's bottom line.

This article reports that EDA entrepreneur Jim Morris has sued Cadence over an OEM deal that he says destroyed his former company. Morris has sued in federal court, charging breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and misappropriation of trade secrets. In essence, the lawsuit maintains that Cadence signed an exclusive OEM deal to sell Simutech's Rave emulators, but never sold any and induced Simutech to manufacture 20 of the high-cost systems only to have them sit in a warehouse. The lawsuit charges that Cadence then misappropriated Simutech trade secrets to improve its own Palladium emulator and backed away from an agreement to invest in Simutech's next round of funding. Morris didn't file suit until 2004, however, because a company called Ravesim acquired Simutech's assets, including any rights to bring a case against Cadence.

Reveals the amount that California's Santa Clara County Superior Court Justice Conrad Rushing ordered Avanti Corp. to pay rival Cadence Design Systems Inc. plus interest for stealing place and route software code in 1991. Comments from Deputy District Attorney Julius Finkelstein about the ruling; Option Avanti is considering; Real question about Avanti, according to analyst John Barr.

Presents news briefs related to the electronic industries in the United States as of September 1999. Appointment of Gary Larsen as chief executive officer of Circuit Semantics Inc.; Court ruling to reduce Cadence Design Systems' ability to claim punitive damages from Avanti Corp.; Factors that may lead to a delay in the transition to digital television.

Discloses that Cadence Design Systems has presented the United States District Court in San Jose, California with new evidence of alleged copyright infringement and trade secret theft by Avant! Corp. Request to the court to include Avant!'s Aquarius products in the preliminary injunction; Damage estimated by Cadence in its filing; Details about Avant!'s alleged copying of Cadence's Design Framework II source code.

Announces Avant!'s move to disqualify the local district attorney for alleged improper conflict of interest in a motion charging Cadence Design Systems insiders of abuse of confidential law enforcement information to improperly trade Avant! stock. Background on the motion filed before the Santa Clara County Municipal Court; Charges filed against Cadence; Terms of the Avant! motion.

This article states that Cadence Design Systems, Magma Design Automation, Mentor Graphics and Altera jointly filed a countersuit against Vanguard Systems and venture capitalist Narpat Bhandari over a patent involving simulation and emulation. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, brings together a motley mix of co-defendants. It presents information on the issue involving the patent.

Reports on the settlement of the Avant! source code theft lawsuits in the U.S. by Synopsys and Cadence in November 2002. Information on other electronic design automation outstanding court battles; Importance of the Synopsys payout to the industry; Remarks from Cadence General Counsel Smith McKeithen on the settlement.

Focuses on the ruling of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on a patent infringement case filed by Mentor Graphics against Cadence Design Systems. Claims of Mentor Graphics against the Mercury and Mercury Plus emulator products of Cadence Design Systems; Expectations of Herscher on the case.1

Reports on the lawsuit filed by Mentor Graphics Corp. subsidiary Ikos Systems against Cadence Design Systems Inc. in a U.S. district court for alleged patent infringement by Cadence subsidiary Quickturn. Hardware emulation system infringed by Cadence; Reason behind the proliferation of lawsuits in the emulation industry; Impact of the lawsuit on the industry; Reaction of a Cadence executive to the lawsuit.

Reports that Municipal Judge Thomas Cain of Santa Clara County, California has withdrawn from the criminal case against Avant! executives. Cadence Design Systems' presentation of additional evidence of alleged copyright infringement and trade secret theft against Avant!; Response of the stock market to Cain's withdrawal. INSET: One judge to another..

Reports that the Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Julius Finkelstein has asked that Municipal Judge Thomas Cain step down from the Cadence-Avant! trade-secrets theft case in the California county. Doubt on Cain's impartiality; Implications for the civil and criminal cases; Avant! attorneys' claim that lead prosecutor Finkelstein's acceptance of computer consulting services from the alleged victim, Cadence, was wrong.

Discloses Judge Thomas William Cain's preliminary ruling on Avant! Corp.'s petition to have the Santa Clara County District Attorney's (DA) office removed from prosecuting the company in the criminal case filed by Cadence Design Systems. Eight areas that Cain wants to examine at an evidentiary hearing before making a final ruling; Probe into the issue of whether or not the DA asked Cadence for contributions.