New developments, details in Microsoft Word ban

Jake Widman
Tuesday, 18 August 2009 02:26

IT Industry - Strategy

Microsoft has attempted to block the court-ordered end to sales of Microsoft Word over a patent dispute. But court papers show that company officers were aware of the patent when they took the infringing action.

As reported last week, a Texas jury found last May that Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007 infringed on a patent owned by Canadian company i4i.

The dispute centered on Word's implementation of a way to manipulate custom XML, and the judge in the case assessed hefty and ongoing fines in addition to ordering Microsoft to stop selling Word by mid October.

Microsoft announced its intention to appeal the ruling, but as reported in InformationWeek, the company has also filed an emergency motion to stop execution of the order.

The initial reports of the decision led some observers -- including this writer -- to wonder whether this was an instance of an otherwise well-meaning company running afoul of an overly broad patent.

But the judge's opinion (PDF ) is now available for scrutiny, and it cites testimony that makes it clear Microsoft knew exactly what it was doing.

The judge also expresses displeasure with some of the company's conduct during trial.

For more on Microsoft's behavior, see Page 2.