Autodesk & SolidWorks to Hug & Make Up

In the case of Autodesk vs. SolidWorks [and why does it always seem to be that it's Autodesk doing the vs., rarely the other way around?], Owen Wengerd's CAD/Court reports that the two have "made significant progress towards settlement and are in the process of drafting and negotiating a settlement agreement."

The civil court judge had denied Autdoesk its favorite legal tactic -- the extension request -- over its complaint involving the use of allegedly orange rectangles and other issues. 

Orange Rectangles Need Not Be Rectangular

Already, we may have already seen one positive outcome of the on-going negotiations. It seems that Autodesk might have agreed to allow SolidWorks to use orange rectangles during SolidWorks World as long as the corners were rounded off and some sides were non-perpendicular.

Or perhaps SolidWorks offered the design change as an initial step towards mollification. One just never knows, does one.

COFES Love-In Interferes with Lawyers' Right to Bill

Whatever the truth of the matter, there quite probably is a palpable sense of urgency in the negotiation room. COFES is a mere five weeks away, and April 16 just may be setting the agenda for the deadline to the agreement.

After all, it would do no good for the representatives of the warring parties to allow their grudges -- as important as they may seem -- to darken the mood in the white-tented dining hall on the grounds of the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. 

When Autodesk senior vp Buzz Kross sits down at the breakfast table next to SolidWorks ceo Jeff Ray, we trust that the upcoming break in the relations fast will allow their deportment to be as warm as the Arizona sun. 

Maybe one of them will sigh, "Orange rectangles! What was that all about anyhow?" And perhaps the other will respond in relief, "Buddy that's all behind us now. Can I pour you some orange juice?"

Comments

[Steve Johnson]

Orange juice, from a position perpendicular to the axis of a conventional cylindrical glass, appears to the viewer as an orange rectangle. I hope this case is settled in time so they can all drink their juice without fear of legal action.

[Chris Bell]

Well I think that AutoDesk needs to go after National Geographic and bust them bad for their rectangle, I get so confused every time I watch "Nat Geo" on TV that I have trouble sleeping for several nights after.

And after they get them, I've got a few more for "Big Friendly" to go after.

By the way please don't tell them that we still use the dwg abreviation to refer to all types of dwgs (drawings) hard copy and electronic, don't want them coming after me.