SAP hit by EU antitrust filing

US software company Versata has filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission alleging SAP illegally excluded it from selling to some of the world’s largest companies by refusing to interoperate with its products.

The Texas-based vendor produces pricing software known as Pricer that is popular with SAP’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) customers, it said.

However, noting that Versata was making a lot of money from SAP customers, the German giant took three steps to exclude it and reserve the pricing software market for itself, Versata alleged.

SAP refused to share interoperability information, cloned Versata's Pricer, and then bundled its cloned pricing software with its dominant ERP product, Versata claimed.

“Versata asks at minimum that the Commission require SAP provide interoperability information, and that it unbundle its own pricing configuration software from its dominant ERP software,” said Thomas Vinje, counsel for Versata.

"The Commission should also impose an appropriate fine."

SAP released a statement saying it had not yet seen Versata's complaint and therefore cannot comment.

"SAP has a policy of closely cooperating with the European Commission and all other competition authorities throughout the world," it added.

This is not the first time that Versata and SAP have face each other in court.

A US District Court jury in Texas last year found that SAP infringed on Versata's patents, and initially awarded it US$139m in damages.

“Versata has been marginalised by SAP's anti-competitive behaviour but if SAP is required to allow Versata to compete again, companies can decide for themselves which is superior,” said Versata counsel Vinje.