Just one week after Business Objects SA unveiled plans to buy Acta Technology Inc., Informatica Corp. has filed a suit against Acta, alleging that the software company has infringed on three patents Informatica holds on data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) technology. Informatica is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction against sales of Acta products.

Business Objects' acquisition of Acta--a deal valued at $65 million--will add Acta's ETL capabilities to its analytical applications. The buyout is expected to close by September. The move would put Business Objects in direct competition with Informatica and its ETL software and analytical applications.

Informatica filed the suit after an attempt to settle its disagreement with Acta earlier this year. The suit is unrelated to the Business Objects acquisition, an Informatica spokeswoman says. But she adds that the buyout makes the suit "more imperative" given Business Objects' more extensive distribution channels. Acta denies the suit's claims, and Business Objects is portraying it as a reaction to the buyout. "What a coincidence that Informatica chooses to do this now," Business Objects CEO Bernard Liautaud said in a statement. "Clearly, this validates that we have the right strategy."