Fortinet, Trend Micro settle antivirus dispute
Settlement puts an end to long-running legal spat over a patent for antivirus software.
Fortinet said on Monday that it has settled a long-running patent dispute with Trend Micro over antivirus software. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based vendor of security appliances said that both companies have agreed to urge the U.S. International Trade Commission to dismiss its consideration of the dispute, which centers on Trend Micro's U.S. Patent 5,623,600. In August, the ITC ordered Fortinet to stop selling its Fortigate products in the United States. At the time, Fortinet said it would work on revamping its products to avoid any infringement on Trend Micro's patent, and estimated it would do that within three months.
Trend Micro filed a lawsuit against Fortinet last year and also filed a complaint with the ITC. Under the deal, the companies will move to have a pending patent infringement suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed and also to have an appeal lodged against an ITC decision dismissed. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.