[free-sklyarov] Yet more legal troubles for Adobe

[Richard M. Smith]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=581&u=/nm/20021120/tc_n
m/tech_adobe_lawsuit_dc&printer=1

Adobe Photoshop Sued Over Trade Secrets - Plaintiff

CARPINTERIA, Calif. (Reuters) - Adobe Systems Inc. (NasdaqNM:ADBE -
news) was sued for an alleged misappropriation of trade secrets by the
principal developer of Kai's Power Tools, a rival to Adobe's popular
Photoshop image editing software, the plaintiff said on Wednesday. 

In a statement, Shell and Slate Software Corp. and the company's
founder, Ben Weiss, said they filed suit on Monday against Adobe in the
U.S. Federal District Court, Central District of California, in Los
Angeles. 

A spokesman for Adobe was not immediately available to comment. 

The suit contains numerous allegations, including misappropriation of
trade secrets and breach of contract concerning the "Healing Brush
texture-cloning tool" included in Adobe Photoshop 7.0, according to the
press statement. 

A copy of the lawsuit was not immediately available. 

Texture cloning is a feature that allows graphic artists to manipulate
images such as removing wrinkles from a picture of a human face. 

Shell and Slate, which was founded in November 2000, makes
two-dimensional graphic software. Weiss is the software architect who
was the prime developer of the Kai's Power Tools and Kai's Power GOO
computer graphics product lines. 

MetaCreations, now known as Viewpoint Corp. (NasdaqNM:VWPT - news), sold
off Kai's Power Tools to Corel Corp. (Toronto:COR.TO - news) and Kai's
Super GOO to ScanSoft Inc. (NasdaqNM:SSFT - news) nearly three years
ago. 

Shell and Slate is represented by Gary Hecker of The Hecker Law Group, a
Los Angeles-based intellectual property firm specializing in high
technology and entertainment litigation, and Stephen W. Tropp, of
Orlando, Florida. 

Hecker has represented clients including Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Apple
Computer, Pixar, Macromedia and Netscape. 

Shares of Adobe traded was up 12 cents at $27.51 in early trading on the
Nasdaq market on Wednesday.