Pick Systems of Irvine Sues Small Competitor

Pick Systems of Irvine, which sells a widely used computer operating system, has sued a small Massachusetts competitor, alleging copyright and trade secret infringement. The suit, filed earlier this month in federal district court in Los Angeles, does not specify the amount of damages sought.

Richard Lauer, Pick’s director of marketing, said Monday that VMark of Natick, Mass., copied the operating system developed 20 years ago by Richard Pick. VMark executives were unavailable for comment.

Lauer said VMark’s “Universe” system so closely resembles the Pick system that it can operate software programs designed specifically for the Pick system with virtually no changes. Lauer said Pick would not have been upset at VMark’s actions had the latter company purchased a license from Pick to use its operating system.

An operating system determines how a computer organizes the information it holds.