F5 Doesn't Like A10's Name -- But Sues Over Patents, Not Trademarks

from the you-sunk-my-battleship dept

johnjac points out that it's a bit odd that, in the middle of a patent lawsuit, data center provider F5 Networks complains that competitor A10 Networks name itself is an attempt to copy F5. Who knows whether the patent questions are legitimate, but names have nothing to do with patents, and it seems like a pretty big stretch for F5 to claim that a company that combines a letter and a number is automatically doing so "as a play, or allusion to, F5's corporate name." And, even if it were true, how would that matter if the discussion is over patents, not trademarks?
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Filed Under: lawsuits, patents, trademarks
Companies: a10, f5


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  1. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2010 @ 2:54am

    0xF5 = 245
    0xA10 = 2576

    Hmm.. no that would be just silly. :D

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Ben, 27 Apr 2010 @ 3:37am

    Not Unusual

    My guess is that F5's lawyers convinced F5 that they wouldn't win on the trademark suit, so they put that information in the complaint to make A10 show that A10 had a history of copying F5.

    I'm not a big fan of putting a totally irrelevant accusation like that in a complaint, but it's a pretty common practice.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    Marcel de Jong (profile), 27 Apr 2010 @ 3:46am

    My keyboard sues F5 networks, for infringing on its use of F5. My keyboard clearly has prior art. (yes, I know, prior art has nothing to do with it, but names aren't patentable either.)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    Richard (profile), 27 Apr 2010 @ 4:06am

    F5 Better watch it in case A10 comes and shoots them up with that big gun in its nose....

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    abc gum, 27 Apr 2010 @ 4:53am

    Re:

    I thought one was not allowed to patent, copyright or trademark a number.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2010 @ 5:05am

    Re:

    Only at Techdirt do we immediately turn to hexadecimal to solve weighty problems. You do us proud.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2010 @ 5:05am

    got no real fight, argue anything and hope something sticks

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    bob, 27 Apr 2010 @ 5:56am

    Hell

    I thought this was about jet fighters not some lame assed IT company, crap.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Matt, 27 Apr 2010 @ 6:02am

    F5 makes load balancing hardware/software, among other security-related networking gear, and is not a datacenter provider. A10 also makes load balancing hardware/software, and from what I heard, their products were made by a few ex-F5 employees - so F5 probably has some legitimate reasons to go after A10 on patent infringement grounds.

    As far as the name thing goes - both are pretty lame names, if you ask me.... Certainly not worth a lawsuit alone.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2010 @ 6:17am

    F5 should be far more worried about its ability to compete with A10. I've used both and I'll choose A10 given the opportunity to choose, their support is far more responsive/cooperative. The licensing is not convoluted and frustrating, and the devices are every bit as capable. I suspect that this is just an attempt to hamstring them in court because F5 aren't competing well in the marketplace.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Any Mouse, 27 Apr 2010 @ 6:31am

    Hey, F5? 3M wants to talk to you about your name...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    William C Bonner, 27 Apr 2010 @ 6:56am

    funny history on the names.

    When I think of the F5 name, I think of an F5 storm, rated on the fujita scale. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujita_scale)

    When I think of the A10 name, I think of A10 Tank Killer, showing my age, and remembering a game from 1991 featuring the A10 Thunderbolt military aircraft. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-10_Tank_Killer

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    Joel (profile), 27 Apr 2010 @ 8:26am

    Re:

    Damn you!!! I was going to put this too... ]=

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. icon
    woofwoof (profile), 27 Apr 2010 @ 8:43am

    naming

    trademarking a name can also be considered part of intellectual property infringement.
    could a company get away with koka-kola?
    mersedes bends?
    a10 at first glance seems like a casual relationship- then you hear Arules, Acontrol, and then it goes from casual to (inmho) nefarious.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    bob, 27 Apr 2010 @ 11:10am

    I think that Force ought to get involved with this. how can a # be inteeectual property.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. icon
    The Groove Tiger (profile), 27 Apr 2010 @ 12:09pm

    The ability to fly with one wing ripped off by AA fire is way cooler than the ability to refresh your web browser

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2010 @ 2:56pm

    By that reasoning, the makers of A1 steak sauce should be sending F5 a C&D? I'm pretty sure the A1 trademark has been around a lot longer than F5s.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    jl, 27 Apr 2010 @ 3:00pm

    I guess they are going to sue L1 the biometrics company as well.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    jt, 2 May 2010 @ 8:28pm

    F5 is losing steam and in its attempt to continue to monopolize and bully its clients, they are doing anything they can to attack their competitors, even something as petty as the accusing of name copying. What are they 3 years old?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    jt, 2 May 2010 @ 8:28pm

    F5 is losing steam and in its attempt to continue to monopolize and bully its clients, they are doing anything they can to attack their competitors, even something as petty as the accusing of name copying. What are they 3 years old?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. identicon
    Bart, 31 Oct 2010 @ 2:43pm

    A10 name

    I heard that a10 picked their name based on chinese sensibilities, something like the sound of '10' in chinese being near something lucky and 'a' meaning best.
    From what I hear a10's products are a lot faster than f5's...so if they did copy something, clearly they left out the slowness feature.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. identicon
    kno1unkno, 15 Jun 2011 @ 6:11am

    Re:

    well if f5 is having a hard time competing with them, then how is f5 closing on a billion dollar a year run rate and still growing every qtr. A10 hardware is garbage, i can build it and A10 is still small enough to give the mom and pop hand holding that some companies need. As A10 grows the support will change and so will the hand holding. A10 is a copy cat product of brocade and they just fired a vp of sales who left f5 for bringing F5s database to A10...wow what a great company, steals code and data bases. Learn about whats actually going on and then comment.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. identicon
    Bill Gates, 24 Jun 2011 @ 11:34am

    F#cK F5

    I actually invented the load-balancer, and I hold a million patents to prove it, and I'm going to sue both of them. All kidding aside, my advice is for F5 to purchase A10, then destroy the technology. That's always worked for me whenever there's been supperior technology then Microsoft's.

    Best regards,

    Bill

    link to this | view in thread ]

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  25. identicon
    Musically Login, 23 Jun 2017 @ 6:58am

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