Chicago-based screen dealing vendor Trading Technologies has fired off a fresh batch of patent infringement lawsuits against rival ISVs GL Trade and Nyfix, and futures dealer Peregrine Financial and its software arm TradeMaven.
Trading Technologies requested a preliminary and permanent injunction against Peregrine and TradeMaven, as well as unspecified damages.
Peregrine's chairman, Russell Wasendorf, told Reuters the firm's legal team was "looking at courses of action" regarding the suit.
Trading Technologies has been pursuing multiple cases in and out of the courts this year in a bid to protect its patented screen-display technology.
The vendor last week fulfilled its promise to pull the plug on its screens at futures merchant Refco and set a trial date to contest its claim for patent infringement for November this year. Court cases against hedge fund Man Financial and bond dealing network ESpeed are pending.
TT has backed up its claims by concluding a series of settlements and loyalty agreements with smaller ISVs and broker-dealers, including Patsystems, Ninja Trader, Advantage Futures, Kingstree Trading and Goldenberg Hehmeyer.
In December, TT asked the four biggest futures marts for a slice of their revenues in return for protection from patent lawsuits. The firm estimates that over 50 percent of electronic volume on the world's top four futures markets goes through the company's X_Trader order entry platform.
These claims are understood to have sparked the interest of the US Justice Department, which is said to be investigating TT for possible monopoly abuse.