The takeover by Computer Associates International Inc of Ask Group Inc has led to an unseemly squabble with Dutch company Baan International, which developed much of the code used in Ask’s ManMan/X manufacturing software for Unix. Ask has claimed for some time that it bought a version of the code outright a couple of years ago, but Baan no doubt reckons that it had residual rights in the event of Ask being bought by a competitor. Now Islandia, New York-based Computer Associates has won a federal court order directing Baan to deliver source code for its Triton Tools to Computer Associates, which describes it as the first step in a lawsuit it filed on July 21 charging Baan with breach of contract, tortious interference with contract and conversion and seeking compensatory and punitive damages as well as injunctive relief. Baan has tried to intimidate our clients by telling them that Computer Associates cannot support CA-ManMan/X and has flagrantly refused to meet its obligations under its agreement with Ask, the company declared. That agreement required Baan to make available to Computer Associates, at all times, the latest updated versions of Baan’s Triton manufacturing software and related tools. Under the July 23 stipulated order, Baan must provide Computer Associates with a copy of the full and complete source code for the updated version of the Triton Tools Porting Set, and also an inventory of all related code and Ask property that may exist at the Baan source code centre in Holland.
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