Data and Database Management Software
Open Design Alliance Releases New DWGdirect Libraries
Phoenix, AZ December 15, 2006 -- The Open Design Alliance today announced that version 2.1.1 of its DWGdirect software libraries for all operating systems have been released, and no longer include support for what Autodesk calls "TrustedDWG technology"
This new release is in response to the Temporary Restraining Order issued on November 22, 2006 as part a lawsuit filed by Autodesk against the Open Design Alliance. The order, signed by U.S. District Court Judge Marsha J. Pechman, states:
"The Court hereby temporarily restrains and enjoins Defendant, its agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and all others in active concert or participation with Defendant, from using or simulating Autodesk's TrustedDWG technology, including but not limited to the Autodesk watermark and/or TrustedDWG code, without Autodesk's authorization; from distributing DWGdirect libraries that use, incorporate or simulate Autodesk's TrustedDWG technology or that otherwise insert or mimic the unauthorized Autodesk and/or TrustedDWG code."
DWGdirect is used by hundreds of brands of CAD and engineering software applications to support reading, writing, viewing and editing of DWG format files. The new release of DWGdirect incorporates support for all the new features and entity types introduced in AutoCAD 2007, but excludes support for setting the TrustedDWG signature when saving a DWG file. All ODA members are recommended to replace their libraries containing the TrustedDWG signature with these new libraries.
"The Open Design Alliance is founded on a mission to serve its members - and the millions of CAD users worldwide - who need accurate and reliable interoperability with their DWG data," states Arnold van der Weide. "The ODA will continue to provide exceptional quality technology to the global CAD eco-system enabling the right of choice to use the best in class software solutions regardless of the data file creation source."
The new DWGdirect file libraries for all operating systems are available now for download by members at www.opendesign.com.
About the Open Design Alliance:
The Open Design Alliance is a non-profit consortium of software developers and users committed to promoting open, industry-standard formats for the exchange of CAD data. The Alliance publishes the OpenDWG(TM) file specification, based upon its work in reverse-engineering the undocumented DWG format used by AutoCAD. The Alliance also creates the DWGdirect and DGNdirect software libraries.
OpenDWG is a registered trademark of the Open Design Alliance. Any other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
