McData and Brocade in patent bust-up

McData, the storage software maker, is suing its rival Brocade for alleged patent infringement.

The patent in question, one of 25 owned by McData, is for filtering and measuring frame traffic within a switch.

McData has not asked Brocade to stop using the technology, but is demanding royalty payments.
The company said in a statement: "We strongly believe that Brocade has been selling and offering for sale products that infringe our patent. McData has informed Brocade of the infringement. McData's patents are valuable company assets and this action is a clear signal to the market that McData will vigorously assert its intellectual property rights against infringements."

But Brocade has hit back, claiming that the lawsuit will have no effect on its business.

Tony Canova, CFO of Brocade, said that customers are remaining loyal to the company regardless of the legal action. "I didn't expect our customers to cancel any orders. Our result prognosis has remained the same," he was reported as saying in US wires.

He added: "McData have remote chances of being granted an injunction. Our technology will work without the frame filtering."