Dive Brief:

• An import ban on Arista Networks’ Ethernet switches that was implemented in June has been upheld, Reuters reports. The ruling also prevents the sale of domestic supplies of the imported products.
• The U.S. International Trade Commission upheld the ban yesterday, saying Arista infringed three Cisco patents when it created its switches.
• The ruling excludes the import of Arista's network devices, including its 7000 series of switches, which generates most of that company's product revenue, according to regulatory filings.

Dive Insight:

The patent fight between Cisco and Arista has been going on for years. Cisco filed the original complaint in December 2014. In January 2016, Arista filed a lawsuit against Cisco alleging antitrust violations. In February, the ITC ruled that Arista Networks violated three of five patents Cisco Systems alleged the company infringed upon. All the alleged patent violations come from technology former Cisco employees invented before becoming executives at Arista, or tech from engineers who were Cisco employees but worked for Arista execs. 

The patents in question go to the core of Arista's business and could seriously impact future business and customer offerings. Arista can appeal the latest ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.