Micrografx takes Corel to court

Graphics software maker Micrografx (MGXI) is expected to file a request tomorrow in the Federal District Court of the Northern District of Texas for a temporary restraining order against Corel (COSFF).

The restraining order calls for Corel to cease using images and program features that Micrografx alleges are from its American Greetings CreataCard software. Micrografx claims the images and features were copied into a recent release of Corel's Print House Magic software. Further, the order seeks to have Corel remove Print House Magic from the marketplace until the content in question can be removed.

In the filing, Micrografx officials allege that similarities between a number of features in the Corel program and Micrografx's original American Greetings CreataCard and CreataCard 2 programs are specific, deliberate, and not coincidental.

"There are a number of very unique pieces of information in the Corel product that are precisely the same as content in our programs," Doug Richard, president and CEO of Micrografx, said in a prepared statement. "Someone would have a greater chance of finding the proverbial needle in a haystack than accidentally replicating this information."

Corel could not be reached for comment.