Small Software Developer Sues Tech Giants Over Use of Code

Silvaco Data Systems, a small software developer, apparently wasn't satisfied after it forced the now-defunct Circuit Semantics to stop licensing and maintaining a stolen trade secret in 2003. Now, in what legal experts say is a rare move, Silvaco is suing a slew of CSI customers, including Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Agilent, for using its code. Observers note that, while Silvaco may have a legal case, the strategy of suing potential future customers may be questionable from a business standpoint.

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