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MicroStrategy DROPS SUIT AGAINST FORMER EMPLOYEES

Data mining firm MicroStrategy has withdrawn its lawsuit against two former employees the company once claimed took trade secrets and clients with them to Business Objects. The suit was filed last October and sought injunctive relief and damages of at least $3 million.

While dropping the litigation against the two former employees, the McLean, Va.-based MicroStrategy is continuing legal action against the French-based Business Objects. MicroStrategy claims the company's software infringes on two patents held by MicroStrategy.

According to the suit, the patent infringements involve "violations of the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, misappropriation of trade secrets and tortious interference with contractual relations."

The patents themselves involve "asynchronous control of report generation using a Web browser and a system and method of adapting automatic output of OLAP reports to disparate user output devices."

MicroStrategy wants monetary damages and injunctive relief for the patent violations. Business Objects, meanwhile, has filed its own patent infringement suit against MicroStrategy.