[nylug-talk] Trend Micro sues Barracuda over ClamAV

[Ron Guerin]

Barracuda defends open source antivirus from patent attack

By Ryan Paul | Published: January 29, 2008 - 09:04AM CT

Mail and security appliance vendor Barracuda Networks announced plans 
today to defend the open source ClamAV antivirus program from dubious 
patent threats made by Trend Micro, a prominent security software 
company. Trend Micro claims that its US Patent 5,623,600 broadly covers 
the concept of server-based antivirus software on FTP and SMTP gateways.

Trend Micro alleges that Barracuda's inclusion of the open source ClamAV 
server-based antivirus software in commercial network security 
appliances constitutes patent infringement. Trend Micro has already 
wielded this patent against Symantec, McAfee, and a number of smaller 
companies, who have settled out of court despite issuing public 
statements denying that the patent is valid. For most companies, the 
cost of settlement is cheaper than the cost of protracted litigation—a 
factor that companies count on when they attempt to collect licensing 
money.

(read the rest at)
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080129-barracuda-defends-open-source-antivirus-from-patent-attack.html