Patent Disputes Settled

Trend Micro Inc. and Network Associates Inc., both makers of software to combat computer viruses, said they’ve agreed to cross-license each other’s patents and end protracted federal court litigation. Last month, the companies abruptly halted a trial in San Jose stemming from a patent infringement lawsuit filed in 1997 by Tokyo-based Trend Micro against Santa Clara, Calif.-based Network Associates and said they had reached an accord. Network Associates also had sued Trend Micro over a patent awarded this year. Terms of the settlements, other than the licensing pact, were not released. Trend Micro’s lawsuit dealt with inventions to scan for viruses in e-mail and Internet data transfers. Network Associates’ legal challenges concerned methods for embedding anti-virus technology into Internet and network software, the companies said. American depositary receipts of Trend Micro rose 56 cents to close at $14, while Network Associates shares rose $1 to $22.88, both on Nasdaq.