As a result, Business Objects must pull its Data Integrator ETL (extraction, transformation, and loading) product from the market or replace the infringing technology.
The technology in question is the data transformation technology that Business Objects gained from the $65m Acta Technology acquisition. Informatica filed suit just before Business Objects completed the acquisition back in July 2002. The suit was over data transformation technology contained in the ActaWorks product, which Business Objects subsequently rebranded as Data Integrator.
Informatica won its case following a unanimous jury verdict on April 2, 2007. As we reported back then, Business Objects, which has not been reticent in filing infringement suits of its own, is expected to appeal the Informatica decision, and will likely devise a workaround in its Data Integrator product.
