Judge Rejects Wang Global’s Patent Suit

Netscape Communications Corp. said a federal judge dismissed all of Wang Global’s patent claims against Netscape and America Online Inc., saying Wang’s software is “generically and fundamentally different” from Internet browsers and related technology. Wang Global, a computer-services company, sued Mountain View-based Netscape and Dulles, Va.-based AOL in October for patent infringement, alleging that it has a 10-year-old patent that gives it rights to some of the technology used in Web browsers. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said Wang’s patent on the Videotex system in the early 1980s didn’t cover pages displayed on the World Wide Web because it was technology designed for private computer networks relying on one database. Brinkema said Videotex was different from the Internet, and concluded Netscape’s browser and AOL’s software don’t violate the patent. Netscape spokeswoman Roberta Katz called the decision a “significant victory.” There was no comment from Wang. Shares of Billerica, Mass.-based Wang, formerly Wang Laboratories Inc., fell 69 cents to close at $24.69 on Nasdaq. AOL shares rose $1.75 to close at $89.75 on the New York Stock Exchange, and Netscape shares fell $1.06 to close at $27.50 on Nasdaq.