A company that sued a trade association in an attempt to force it to disclose the name of a whistleblower lost its case, according to an announcement by the defendant, the Software and Information Industry Association.

Solers Inc., a Virginia-based technology company, said it was defamed by the informant, who claimed Solers pirated software.

The federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the anonymity of the informant, citing the First Amendment rights of an individual to engage in anonymous criticism, the association said.

In another decision, a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines was ordered to reinstate a pilot who was fired shortly after reporting mechanical concerns involving aircraft in 2007, according to a U.S. Department of Labor statement last week.

The department also ordered AirTran Airways to pay more than $1 million in back pay plus interest and other damages.

An investigation by the Labor Department's whistleblower protection program found reasonable cause to believe that the termination was an act of retaliation, the statement said.

"Whistleblower laws are designed to protect workers' rights to speak when they have safety concerns, and the Labor Department will vigilantly protect and defend those fundamental rights," department official David Michaels said.

JANE FRIEDMANN