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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.

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.

Reports that Municipal Judge Thomas Cain of Santa Clara County, California has withdrawn from the criminal case against Avant!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.