Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Ordered To Pay $290M, Stop Selling Word
Cytalk and other readers tipped us to Microsoft's loss in a US appeals court, in a patent case brought by Canadian company i4i. Microsoft must now pay $290M and either stop selling Word (and probably Office) by January 11, or somehow work around the patent by that date. A Seattle PI blog reports that Redmond has a few options left: "In a statement, Microsoft said it was working hard to comply with the injunction. The company also said it is considering further legal options, including possible requests for a new hearing or a writ of certiorari from the US Supreme Court." Update: 12/22 20:47 GMT by KD : Tim Bray has up a blog post explaining why it would be no great loss if Microsoft dropped the "custom XML" feature in dispute.
Update: 12/22 23:04 GMT by KD : Reader adeelarshad82 pointed out a statement released by Microsoft earlier today, which says in part: "We expect to have copies of Microsoft Word 2007 and Office 2007, with this feature removed, available for U.S. sale and distribution by the injunction date. In addition, the beta versions of Microsoft Word 2010 and Microsoft Office 2010, which are available now for downloading, do not contain the technology covered by the injunction."
Update: 12/22 23:04 GMT by KD : Reader adeelarshad82 pointed out a statement released by Microsoft earlier today, which says in part: "We expect to have copies of Microsoft Word 2007 and Office 2007, with this feature removed, available for U.S. sale and distribution by the injunction date. In addition, the beta versions of Microsoft Word 2010 and Microsoft Office 2010, which are available now for downloading, do not contain the technology covered by the injunction."
that i4i's stock price grew THREE sizes that day.
I'm personally shocked, because microsoft doesn't have a reputation of working with smaller companies, failing to close a contract, and then releasing their own very similar products.
She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
So you're saying the slashbots should be happy, angry and indignant all at once? That's normal.
You must be new here.
You can't legislate goodness. Let each to his own destiny, by will of his freely made choices.
World of Warcraft uses XML for it's UI
http://www.wowwiki.com/XML_user_interface
Well thank you for pointing that out. Now we know and can proceed to retrieve monetary losses from the only two applications in the history of computing to use the XML format.
Sincerely,
John Phillips Suesalot
CEO of i4i
... and Microsoft goes blind
Then slashbot happy.
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
I like to think of it as "open" as in 'you need MS-Word to "open" the file'.
--Greg :-)
It's an i 4 an i.
--Greg :-)
Would it be too much to hope that Microsoft gets the message that it might be best to say goodbye to software patents (work to invalidize all of them)?
But.. But.. But... Microsoft PROTECTS intellectual property.. It is obviously protecting i4i's intellectual property from it's self. Biter bit. Not that they are going to learn unless it really damages them.
It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it.
a) the ideas to be stolen by Microsoft.
Profit! ($290M)
b) be bought out by Microsoft.
Profit!
c) be "corporate cannibalized" by Microsoft.
Profit?
d) ALL OF THE ABOVE!
Profit!?
1897, but then that A.Einstein quit and got a real job.
Red to red, black to black. Switch it on, but stand well back.