Judge orders Microsoft to stop selling Word or lobotomize it
By Mike Ferro
Word is considered to be one of Microsoft’s flagship applications. Microsoft Word is currently the de facto documentation application used throughout the world. However, a judge recently ordered Microsoft to stop selling Word due to a patent infringement.
Microsoft was ordered by the European Commission not that long ago to make installing Internet Explorer onto Windows optional. It seems like it is Microsoft Word’s turn to get lobotomized this time around. According to CNET, Judge Leonard Davis of the U.S. District Court of Texas ordered Microsoft to stop selling or importing any Microsoft Word products to the U.S. in its current form.
The charges were brought against Microsoft back in March 2007 by i4i, a Toronto-based company. The company alleges that Microsoft violated its patent by integrating XML functionality into Word. Microsoft faces up to $290 million, which has to be paid to i4i.
The judge issued an injunction on Word, prohibiting Microsoft from testing, selling and demonstrating the software in its current state. Microsoft must either modify Word to work without XML or take the product off the shelves. Of course it makes sense the company will most likely modify the software.
Upon reading the patent the description seems rather vague, making one think that it could apply to various technologies. It’s a wonder that such a patent was successfully filed nevertheless used against Microsoft successfully to win a court battle. However, Microsoft is not without fault in this matter as the company did very little to move the case from the patent lawsuit hot bed within Texas. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft modifies Word to comply with the ruling. Microsoft plans on appealing the ruling within 60 days.
Related:
Entry was posted
on Saturday, August 15th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
under
Read more entries by Mike Ferro.
Stumble It!
