Ruckus rucks with Netgear

Vendor Ruckus Wireless is set for a courtroom melee with rival Netgear over the alleged unauthorised use of two of its patents.

Ruckus has filed a suit in the United States Court for the Northern District of California claiming Netgear has knowingly infringed two of its patents with its RangeMax WPN 824v3 wireless router. Ruckus is also suing metamaterial wireless products developer Rayspan Corporation for "acts of contributory infringement" in making and selling the product in question.

Ruckus is seeking a permanent injunction prohibiting Netgear and Rayspan from making or selling the RangeMax WPN 824v3. It is also hoping to obtain royalties and damages payments. Ruckus and Netgear agreed a technology licensing agreement in 2005 which stipulated that Ruckus would develop the underlying technology used in Netgear's RangeMax 824v1 and v2 wireless routers. Ruckus claims it retains the patent for the hardware and software it developed.

Netgear's RangeMax 824 line of wireless routers is one of its best selling products and Ruckus claims 1.7 million units integrating its technology have been shipped worldwide to date. It also claims it does not currently license its "smart Wi-Fi" technology to any other company.

Ruckus chief executive Selina Lo said: "Our unique Smart Wi-Fi innovations have received dozens of industry awards and their benefits have been available to over a million users around the world. These breakthroughs are coveted by many within the industry. We must and will diligently protect our intellectual property to keep others from benefiting from the results of our years of hard work, scientific research, product development and market education. We are flattered but deeply disappointed that Netgear has chosen to effectively copy our technology and disregard our intellectual property rights."

Bill Kish, Ruckus' chief technical officer, added: "Ruckus Wireless is a pioneer in the area of adaptive smart antenna systems and the technology is really hard to get right. The advances we have made in countering the effect of interference and other RF challenges through the combination of cost-effective antenna arrays and sophisticated antenna control software are truly remarkable and unique. Like any technology innovator, we are obligated to protect the intellectual property that makes companies like ours valuable, and the investments, both monetary and emotional, in making difficult innovations worthwhile."

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