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Software Maker Sues Ford $1 Billion for IP Theft
Texas-based Versata Software Inc. claims in a $1 billion lawsuit that Ford Motor Co. illegally developed its own version of one of the company's products.
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Texas-based Versata Software Inc. claims in a $1 billion lawsuit that Ford Motor Co. illegally developed its own version of one of the company's products.
Ford insists its patented software doesn't use Versata coding or infringe upon the Texas company's intellectual property.
Ford began licensing Versata software in 1998 to help configure vehicle equipment packages. But it balked in late 2014 at a pricey 5-year extension and canceled the service.
Versata claims Ford had secretly set up a team in 2010 to develop similar software even as it continued to use Verata's product. Ford's own software received a patent in 2012. Versata claims at least 10 Ford employees were developing that software while using Versata's own program.
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