Microsoft puts patent screws on Taiwanese mouse maker Primax

Stephen Withers
Friday, 01 August 2008 05:30

Your IT - Home IT

Microsoft has filed a patent infringement action against Primax Electronics, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of peripherals, imaging products, Bluetooth devices and other products. The action appears to centre on Microsoft's U2, Tilt Wheel and Magnifier mouse technologies.

Microsoft says it has resorted to legal action after Primax failed to negotiate an appropriate licence.

"Microsoft has filed an action today with the ITC [International Trade Commission] after making repeated attempts during the past several years to engage in meaningful licensing discussions with Primax," said Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft's vice president and deputy general counsel of intellectual property and licensing.

"Microsoft has an open intellectual property licensing policy, but in situations such as this, in which a reasonable licensing agreement cannot be reached despite our best efforts, we have no choice but to pursue legal action to protect our innovations," he added.

U2 is Microsoft's technology allowing a mouse or other peripheral to automatically sense whether it has been connected to a PS2 or USB interface.

Tilt Wheel extends the functionality of the now familiar scroll wheel by allowing the wheel to be pushed from side to side for horizontal scrolling. Another approach to this issue can be seen in Apple's use of a small scroll ball on its Mighty Mouse.

Magnifier displays an enlargement of the area under the mouse pointer at the touch of a button.

What happened when a small mouse vendor tried to sue Microsoft for patent infringement? Find out on page 2.