Avant Is Denied Appeal, Faces Injunction

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied Avant Corp.’s request for reconsideration of a ruling that will mean an injunction against one of its products. Shares of Fremont, Calif.-based Avant fell $2.31 to close at $22.50 on Nasdaq. The court denied Avant’s request for a rehearing of its appeals involving a trade secret lawsuit and let stand a ruling it issued in September ordering a lower court to impose an injunction against sales of Avant’s ArcCell product. It was the latest twist in a years-long legal battle involving Avant and its chief rival, Cadence Design Systems Inc. Both software companies write computer programs that help electrical engineers design computer chips. Cadence initially sued Avant in December 1995, alleging that Avant stole some of its software technology and based products on it. The decision “means very little, if anything” because Avant no longer sells ArcCell, an Avant spokesman said.