Digidyne Files Computer Antitrust Claim

Digidyne Corp., a Tustin computer manufacturer, has filed a $101-million damage claim in federal court in San Francisco against Data General Corp. of Boston, which earlier had been found liable for damages in an antitrust action brought by Digidyne in 1977.

Under antitrust law, Digidyne willbe entitled to three times the damages it can prove in a trial--which probably will not start until early next year, said Ronald N. Murray, Digidyne’s president and chief executive.

The verdict against Data General found that the company illegally required customers to use its popular RDOS software only with its Nova computers, excluding producers of compatible hardware from getting access to its software package, Murray said.

Digidyne had produced about 7,000 computers before interrupting production in 1984 because of its product’s limited use without the Data General software, he said. The company will resume computer production once it is assured of getting the RDOS software package, Murray said.

Two months ago, Digidyne also won a permanent injunction requiring Data General to make its software available to Digidyne and its customers, Murray said. No agreement has been reached yet, however, on software sales.