Patent lawsuit between software companies highlights need for intellectual property protection

It is frequently emphasized on this blog that it is essential for businesses to take the necessary steps to keep intellectual property protected. When it comes to employees, there is always the possibility that someone could walk away from your company along with its valuable trade secrets and patented ideas. For this reason, it is important to have all of the legal protections in place.

Currently, there is a patent lawsuit going on between AppDynamics and CA. According to an article in VentureBeat, these companies, which each develop software for application monitoring, are engaged in a patent infringement case concerning the use of "derivative works" by former CA employees that now work for AppDynamics.

AppDynamics and CA are competing companies, and CA alleges that the founders of AppDynamics, who used to work for CA, started developing this competing product. The claim is that they began developing it when they still worked for CA. CA believes that these works are its property, and that includes derivative ones as well. 

Whether or not these allegations will turn out to be accurate, remains to be seen. This case highlights the need for intellectual property protection. Having the necessary agreements in place between a company and its employees can help mitigate the risk of idea theft.

However, it is worth noting that the debate about current laws is ongoing. It is a commonly-held belief that the use of patent law in the tech industry puts a damper on innovation. 

The technology world is no stranger to patent infringement lawsuits, but that does not mean that other industries are immune to the possibility of intellectual property theft. Contact a Phoenix, AZ small business attorney today to learn about what you can do to keep your valuable works safe.

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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