Macromedia, Adobe Debating Patent Rights in Court

While Macromedia executives tout one of the company's biggest product launches ever -- Web design tools Dreamweaver MX -- company lawyers will be in court for the beginning of a contentious patent suit against Adobe. Adobe filed the suit in August 2000, alleging that the user interface of Macromedia's Flash Web animation tool infringes on Adobe's patent for "tabbed palettes," a feature that allows users of design software to rearrange the work space on the PC screen.