AWR has charged that ZTE, who are a telecomm equipment supplier in China, has purposely circumvented copyright protection mechanisms, so that they could use AWR’s software without having to purchase valid, legal licenses. AWR alleges that by using unlicensed AWR software, ZTE has been able to successfully avoid paying millions of dollars in license fees

Sources at AWR said the legal procedure was designed to protect its intellectual property. An official statement from the company points out that software piracy in the EDA market space can undermine the competitiveness of semiconductor, telecommunications and aerospace companies worldwide.

The EDA consortium is firm on an anti-piracy policy that is aimed at increased security and license management capabilities for the benefit of the industry. EDAC last year spearheaded a broad investigation into EDA software piracy.

In the recent past, tech firms have been getting more aggressive about using the law to protect their IP in China. Last month, Motorola Inc. sued Huawei Technologies Co., alleging a plot to steal trade secrets.