Opinion ID: 746859
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The United States Action

Text: 2 In August of 1988, Computer Associates brought a copyright infringement and trade secrets misappropriation action in the Eastern District of New York against Altai, alleging that Altai had copied substantial portions of Computer Associates's ADAPTER computer program into Altai's OSCAR 3.4 and OSCAR 3.5 computer programs in violation of Computer Associates's United States copyright (the United States action). On August 9, 1991, following a trial, the district court found that Altai's OSCAR 3.4 computer program infringed Computer Associates's copyright, but held that OSCAR 3.5 was not substantially similar to the ADAPTER portion of Computer Associates's SCHEDULER program and therefore did not infringe Computer Associates's copyright. Computer Assocs. Int'l, Inc. v. Altai, Inc., 775 F.Supp. 544, 560-62 (E.D.N.Y.1991) (Altai I ). The district court dismissed Computer Associates's trade secrets claim as preempted by the federal Copyright Act. Id. at 565. 3 On December 17, 1992, the Second Circuit affirmed the district court's findings and judgment with regards to Computer Associates's copyright claims, but vacated the district court's preemption holding. Computer Assocs. Int'l, Inc. v. Altai, Inc., 982 F.2d 693, 715, 720 (2d Cir.1992) (Altai II ). On remand, the district court held that the trade secret claim was barred under Texas's two-year statute of limitations. Computer Assocs. Int'l, Inc. v. Altai, Inc., 832 F.Supp. 50, 54 (E.D.N.Y.1993) (Altai III ). Computer Associates appealed and the Second Circuit certified the issue to the Texas Supreme Court. Computer Assocs. Int'l, Inc. v. Altai, Inc., 22 F.3d 32, 37 (2d Cir.1994) (Altai IV ). On July 17, 1995, following a decision by the Texas Supreme Court, the Second Circuit issued a mandate affirming the district court's decision dismissing Computer Associates's trade secret claim. Computer Assocs. Int'l, Inc. v. Altai, Inc., 61 F.3d 6, 8 (2d Cir.1995) (per curiam) (Altai V ).