AVG v. AutomationDirect; AutomationDirect v. AVG

So. What I feared when I went to AVG's press conference last year announcing their formation of EzAutomation.com is actually happening. Two of the leaders in automation catalog marketing are eating their young. AVG for years has been a significant supplier of touch screen panels to AutomationDirect, and AVG honcho Shalli Kumar wanted to get more. And since nothing succeeds like a proven model, he "borrowed" the look and feel of AutomationDirect, rang in some changes on his own, and started going to town. Reports from both camps throughout the year have borne out what I predicted, back when. Both companies are reporting increased sales, which, I believe is in part at least from the fact that AutomationDirect is no longer a lone soldier out at the forefront of the automation wars. Sometimes competition is good for vendors (although from the way some of them act, you'd have trouble believing it). Competition always benefits the end-user. I was hoping that this would stay out of the courts, but, no. AVG called a hurried press conference the other day to announce that they had sued AutomationDirect for sundry mopery and dopery and got a court order enjoining AutomationDirect from doing it any more. In response, AutomationDirect revealed that they had sued AVG in April, for ripping off their catalog's look and feel, and generally being bad guys. Neither company comes out of this looking like heroes. I'm not posting either press release here (although we are covering it as straight news on ControlGlobal.com and in the magazine) and I sincerely hope that both parties will allow the legal process to work before any more cowpatties get thrown. Walt