Microsoft News Tracker

John Letzing at MarketWatch reports that Agere Systems Inc. has sued Microsoft for allegedly misappropriating trade secrets related to VoIP technology:

In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania on March 15, Agere claims that Microsoft gathered confidential information during meetings in 2002 and 2003 related to Agere’s sound technology used for Internet videoconferencing, because Microsoft was interested in licensing and acquiring that technology.

Just prior to the anticipated signing of a licensing and transfer agreement, however, “Microsoft abruptly terminated the negotiations, proclaiming it had a ‘breakthrough’ in its own undisclosed development effort,” Agere says in the complaint. Agere says the “breakthrough” was made by Microsoft researchers who had reviewed proprietary Agere materials, and was later used by Microsoft to develop its own products.

Microsoft had no comment and an Agere spokesman offered the observation that Microsoft may be infringing on Agere patents as well.