Symantec Corp

Security software vendor Symantec Corp. accused Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday of abusing its monopoly in deciding which security products can run on its upcoming operating system. Symantec said Microsoft, which started selling its own security products in May, was deliberately withholding information needed to develop products that work on Windows Vista.

Symantec Corp., a maker of software that detects computer bugs, rose 14% after the company allayed concern that it would miss fiscal first-quarter earnings and revenue estimates. Symantec shares rose $3.19 to close at $25/50 in Nasdaq trading. The Cupertino-based company said it will earn 40 cents a share before charges, in line with analyst estimates of 41 cents.

K-Swiss Inc., an athletic-shoe maker that split its shares and doubled its dividend in December, cut its 2004 profit and sales forecasts after orders from Foot Locker Inc. dropped. Its shares fell 21%. K-Swiss expects to earn $1.40 to $1.50 a share this year, down from its earlier forecast of $1.50 to $1.65, on sales of $460 million to $480 million. The company reported net income of $1.32 a share on sales of $429.2 million in 2003. Shares of Westlake Village-based K-Swiss fell $5.06 to $19.

In a closely watched battle over trade-secret protection and job-hopping, a grand jury in Santa Cruz on Thursday indicted a Silicon Valley software executive and one of his employees on charges that they stole inside information from a rival company. Gordon Eubanks, chairman and founder of Symantec Corp., was accused of 11 counts of receiving stolen property and conspiracy.

Shares of Symantec Corp. and other makers of anti-virus software fell Tuesday after Computer Associates International Inc. offered free security programs to some home users of personal computers. Computer Associates, based in Islandia, N.Y., said it would "aggressively promote" free one-year subscriptions for its eTrust EZ Armor package of programs to "qualified" users of PCs running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system. The software sells for about $50.

Anti-virus software developer Symantec Corp. will release an update to its Norton AntiVirus program today that is designed to seek out and destroy a new class of "macro" viruses. Researchers at the Cupertino, Calif.-based company developed the update after they learned of an unusual virus found in France this week. Although there's only one known case of the virus, dubbed XF/Paix.A, virus hunters want to ensure that they're ready. "A new class of macro virus is what we're dealing with.

Internet security technology provider Symantec Corp. has purchased 9 acres in Fox Hills, where it plans to build a research and development campus with an ocean view. The new Symantec offices would be about 2 miles from the planned Electronic Arts Inc. production studio in Playa Vista, where the computer game maker would pamper its 300 employees with such perks as beach volleyball, valet parking and jogging trails.

Growing worry over identity theft, viruses and other online problems helped boost quarterly earnings at two big Internet security companies, Symantec Corp. and VeriSign Inc. Symantec, one of the largest digital security companies, said Wednesday that net income in the fiscal second quarter jumped to $136 million, or 38 cents a share, from $83 million, or 24 cents, a year earlier. Sales rose 44% to $618 million.

In the world of computer software, Symantec Corp. is this year's Cinderella. "A sexy stock in an unglamorous niche," Investor's Daily aptly describes the Cupertino-based firm. Symantec's attractions are reflected in its dazzling leap to No. 4 on this year's Times list of 100 California companies with the sharpest sales growth. Symantec's sales grew an enchanting 127.2%. The company didn't even make the chart a year ago.

While most Internet users viewed the recent "Love Bug" software virus outbreak with alarm, a few producers of anti-virus security software greeted the obnoxious pest with open arms. By providing e-mail users with the means to inoculate their PCs, the vendors are basking in a worldwide spotlight of free publicity.