3Com Corp, the world's No 3 maker of computer-networking equipment, can join venture partner Huawei Technologies Co in defense of a patent lawsuit filed by Cisco Systems Inc, a US judge ruled on Monday.

　　Cisco, the world's largest maker of equipment used to link computers, had objected to 3Com's request to participate in the suit. US District Judge T John Ward in Marshall, Texas, said 3Com can intervene on behalf of Huawei.

　　The judge declined to preclude Santa Clara, California-based 3Com from bringing any counterclaims against Cisco, although he said 3Com must follow the existing trial schedule.

　　San Jose, California-based Cisco sued Huawei in January, seeking to stop the Chinese company from selling data-traffic switches and routers that it claims rely upon Cisco innovations protected by patents and copyrights.

　　3Com trails Cisco and Juniper Networks Inc in US sales of gear that direct Internet traffic.

　　3Com formed the joint venture with Shenzhen-based Huawei in March. The venture, which will sell products under 3Com's name in all countries except China and Japan, pits 3Com against Cisco in the market for enterprise network equipment.

　　Pamela Sklar, a spokeswoman at 3Com, said the company was "pleased the court agreed with 3Com by granting its motion to intervene."

　　Officials with Cisco and Huawei didn't comment.

　　Lu Guoying, a senior analyst with CCID Consulting Co Ltd, a Beijing-based consultant on the IT sector told Shanghai Daily in an earlier interview: "Cisco has sensed the threat coming from its rivals in China, since home-grown companies like Huawei are gradually nibbling at the market which used to be dominated by Cisco several years ago."

　　Take switches, Cisco's main product, for instance. Sales of switches amounted to 6.28 billion yuan (US million) in China last year.

　　Of this, Cisco secured 1.8 billion yuan and Huawei had 800 million yuan, according to a market survey done by CCID.

　　Huawei was founded in 1988 by Ren Zhengfei, a former army officer who was ranked as one of China's richest men by Forbes magazine.

　　Huawei soon grew into one of China's largest tele-communications equipment producers and had previously explored other developing markets like Russia and India.