Inc of San Jose, CA, USA (a fabless supplier of analog semiconductor and optical components enabling high-speed end-to-end information streaming over optical fiber and wireless networks) says that in its lawsuit against defendants M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc of Lowell, MA, USA, MACOM’s subsidiary Optomai Inc, and the three former GigOptix employees Vikas Manan, Vivek Rajgarhia and Stefano D’Agostino, the Superior Court of Santa Clara County, California held a trial setting conference on 29 January. At the trial setting conference, the Superior Court scheduled the lawsuit for a two-week jury trial starting 26 August.
M/A-COM Tech manufactures semiconductors, components, and subassemblies for RF, microwave and millimeter-wave applications. Optomai is a fabless semiconductor company that develops integrated circuits and modules for next-generation 40Gbps and 100Gbps fiber-optic networks. Its product portfolio includes high-speed optoelectronic ICs such as 40G and 100G laser modulator drivers and TIAs for both line-side and client-side applications. Its gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium phosphide (InP) circuit design complements M/A-COM Tech’s CATV/broadcast and point-to-point/infrastructure businesses.
GigOptix filed the lawsuit on 25 April 2011 against Silicon Valley-based firm Optomai Inc and former GigOptix employees. Subsequently, on 26 April, following the announcement of the acquisition of Optomai by M/A-COM Tech, GigOptix amended the lawsuit to name M/A-COM Tech as an additional defendant. The lawsuit requests damages and injunctive relief based on breach of contract and trade secret misappropriation allegations. According to the lawsuit, the former employees created Optomai in 2009 and began selling products competing directly with GigOptix’s products. GigOptix further alleged that its technology and intellectual property were used by Optomai to develop products in violation of California law and that it has been selling its products as the ‘Optomai Optoelectronics’ product line of MA-COM.