Two major claim management software providers in the property/casualty insurance segment have become entangled in a legal dispute involving technology patents.

Accenture filed a patent infringement suit against Guidewire in late December, alleging that Guidewire misappropriated trade secrets relating to its claim management software, Accenture Claim Components Solution. In the suit, which was filed in U.S District Court for the District of Delaware, Accenture specifically said Guidewire infringed on secrets relating to “the design, coding, and implementation of the claim management technology Accenture developed and patented, ” in regards to Guidewire's ClaimCenter technology.

The complaint also said that Guidewire “willfully and deliberately developed, manufactured, used and sold, or offered for sale, computer software and services used for insurance claims management,” which the company said was covered under patents it owned. The suit also claims that Guidewire obtained and used or intends to use Accenture trade secrets without authorization in designing, developing, manufacturing and selling claims management software and services to assist it in its ongoing efforts to unfairly compete against Accenture in the claim management market.

Shortly after the complaint was filed, Guidewire denied the allegations, saying that they viewed the lawsuit as nothing but a ploy from a business competitor.

“We can assure [our customers and the industry] that we have not misappropriated any Accenture trade secrets and we are confident that we have not infringed on Accenture's patent,” said John Raguin, chief executive officer, Guidewire Software. “We view these allegations as a tactic intended to disrupt our business.

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