Novell sues Microsoft over ad campaign

Novell Inc. Monday went on the offensive when it sued Microsoft Corp. for “making and distributing false and misleading” statements about Novell’s flagship product, NetWare 6.

Novell claimed that Microsoft launched a campaign of false advertising targeted at Novell customers.

According to Novell’s claims, Microsoft sent out a cereal box to Novell customers labeled “Microsoft Server Crunch” that included statements such as “What’s the expiration date on that NetWare platform?” and “You’re left with a server platform without the full support of its manufacturer.”

Novell is asking the U.S. District Court to stop Microsoft’s advertising about Novell and NetWare. It is also asking for advertising that corrects the “misleading” statements, as well as unspecified money damages.

“Microsoft has tried to create a fictitious end of life for NetWare to create fear and uncertainty within Novell’s customer base and to discourage future customers from doing business with Novell,” Novell executive vice-president and chief operating officer Stewart Nelson says.

The recent advertising is not Microsoft’s first this year, says Novell. Shortly after the announcement that Novell would merge with consulting company Cambridge Technology Partners Inc., Microsoft posted a story on MSN Money Central that said Novell was moving out of the software business and into consulting.

According to internal Novell documents Network World received, the company will derive 30 per cent of its business from IT solutions consulting, 60 per cent from software licenses and support, and the remaining 10 per cent from education and management consulting.

It is also not the first lawsuit to come, albeit indirectly, from Novell against Microsoft. In 1996, Novell sold DR-DOS to Caldera Systems Inc., a recent start-up headed by former Novell CEO and Chairman Ray Noorda. Caldera sued Microsoft asserting that the company was trying to dominate the PC operating system space. The suit was settled for an undisclosed amount last year, and Novell received a portion of the settlement.

Would you recommend this article?

Share

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think of this article!
We'd love to hear your opinion about this or any other story you read in our publication.


Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Featured Download

Featured Articles

Cybersecurity in 2024: Priorities and challenges for Canadian organizations 

By Derek Manky As predictions for 2024 point to the continued expansion...

Survey shows generative AI is a top priority for Canadian corporate leaders.

Leaders are devoting significant budget to generative AI for 2024 Canadian corporate...

Related Tech News

Tech Jobs

Our experienced team of journalists and bloggers bring you engaging in-depth interviews, videos and content targeted to IT professionals and line-of-business executives.

Tech Companies Hiring Right Now