8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):

November 12, 2002

3COM CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	0-12867	94-2605794
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

5400 Bayfront Plaza

Santa Clara, CA

95052
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (408) 326-5000

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Item 5.    Other Events

                On November 12, 2002, 3Com Corporation issued a press release regarding the resolution of certain patent infringement lawsuits between 3Com and Xircom.  The press release is filed as an exhibit to this current report and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 7.    Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c)	Exhibits
	The following exhibit is filed herewith:
	99.1	Text of Press Release, dated November 12, 2002, titled “3Com and Xircom, an Intel Company, Settle Patent Infringement Suits.”

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	3COM CORPORATION
Date:  November 13, 2002	By:	/s/ Mark Slaven
		Mark Slaven
		Senior Vice President, Finance and Planning, and Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX

99.1 Text of Press Release, dated November 12, 2002, titled “3Com and Xircom, an Intel Company, Settle Patent Infringement Suits.”

EX-99.1

EXHIBIT 99.1

3COM AND XIRCOM, AN INTEL COMPANY,

SETTLE PATENT INFRINGEMENT SUITS

Settlement Involves $15 million Payment to 3Com,
Resolves Litigation and Provides Patent Peace among Parties

SANTA CLARA, Calif., November 12, 2002 — 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS), Xircom Corporation and Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC) today announced resolution of patent infringement lawsuits, one brought by 3Com against Xircom and two by Xircom against 3Com. Under the terms of this settlement, 3Com will be paid $15 million by Xircom; a consent judgment acknowledging the validity of the 3Com patents involved and infringement by Xircom products, including RealPort and RealPort2 Xircom products, will be entered; cross licensing of the patents in suit has been agreed upon and the Xircom lawsuits against 3Com will be dismissed with prejudice.

“We are pleased to reach patent peace with Intel and anticipate an improved business relationship,” said Mark Michael, senior vice president and general counsel for 3Com. “This settlement underscores the strength of 3Com’s patent portfolio and our commitment to protect it. The company continues to secure value from its industry leading innovations, which have been major strategic assets since 3Com was created and are at the core of the company’s future. Aggressive pursuit of ongoing licensing programs is critical to 3Com’s success.”

Background:

3Com Corporation, with more than 870 U.S. patents in its intellectual property portfolio, is an industry leader in technology innovation and offering practical products for its customers and partners.

Xircom, Inc. was acquired by Intel Corporation in 2001, after 3Com had filed its patent infringement case in Utah against Xircom on May 26, 2000. The court ruled on March 22, 2002, that 3Com was likely to prevail on its claim that Xircom infringes claim 29 of U.S. Patent # 6,146,209. In July, Judge Tena Campbell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah granted 3Com’s motion for a preliminary injunction to prohibit Xircom from manufacturing, using, selling, offering to sell within the United States, or importing into the United States, dozens of products, including RealPort and RealPort2 products.

About 3Com Corporation

3Com is a tier-one provider of innovative, practical and high-value networking products for enterprise customers. 3Com is also a leader in Internet protocol (IP) service platforms and access infrastructure for the network service provider market. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site www.3com.com/pressbox.

3Com and the 3Com logo are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This press release was accurate at the time it was issued but may not reflect 3Com’s current strategy or product offering.