Microsoft to pay $290m in lawsuit

A US federal court has ordered Microsoft to pay over $290m (£175m) for wilfully infringing on a patent by Canadian firm i4i.

The patent relates to the use of XML, a programming language that allows formatting of text and makes files readable across different programs.

[meepmoopmeep]

if Word gets banned that's a heavy blow to MSFT

[Pandamobile]

wat

[talltony]

290 million? thats almost as much as sony lost recently.

[Killjoy3000]

Lawsuits are a huge part of corporate business. It actually happens more than some are lead to believe. But this one especially is a pretty heavy blow.

[Trollimite]

bill gates makes that much in his sleep! lol not really but he is one rich son of a bittch

the fact that they cant sell microsoft word anymore is the big problem here

free ms word for all college students!!!!!!

[meepmoopmeep]

you gotta read the whole thing.

"In a separate injunction, the court prohibited Microsoft from "selling, offering to sell, and/or importing in or into the United States" any version of the software that can open custom XML files (with file extensions .xml, .docx, or .docm)."

[gamesR4fun]

n thats like 99% of their software suit buyers guessing they'll make a deal with em to keep selling it they just cant afford not to imo..

Fact this was a US supreme court makes me think it was a pretty clear n cut case.

[edgeofblade]

XML? XM-freaking-L? That's an unenforceable patent. That's the poster child for all other unenforceable patents. This is a complete bullshit case.

[Keith Olbermann]

nice troll dude.

[OmarJA]

That's nice...

[talltony]

lol im not trolling what about my comment makes you think im trolling? I dnt get you people sometimes. Both companys lost alot of money for different reasons recently. thats all im saying.

[randomwiz]

"In a separate injunction, the court prohibited Microsoft from "selling, offering to sell, and/or importing in or into the United States" any version of the software that can open custom XML files (with file extensions .xml, .docx, or .docm)."

Stupidest court decision ever

[FamilyGuy]

For what it is I would think they they'd be awarded MORE than that amount, but i see this is to simply stop the sale, as in M$ isn't paying to use the patent on top of the court awarded fee.

They should just pay for use, MS Word is a HUGE selling application for companies, they pretty much can't just STOP selling it.

[bigjclassic]

Why is MS always in court these days? Im not a fan of MS but damn cut them a break.

[SKUD]

NEVER!!!!!!

[edgeofblade]

Really, they should give them a break. It's just so transparent that people love to sue into the deepest pockets. It has nothing to do with "evil Microsoft", as some people would tell you.

[TheLaughingMan]

These things aren't about people just trying to get money out of Microsoft. They've actually done these things. Remember them trying to monopolize other web browsers on their systems? Theres plenty of other companys with deep pockets. That doesn't explain them infringing patents and doing other such illegal things.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

Infringing patents is one of those things were, you don't realize it until it is too late....

Even if you knew in advance a patent exist and you made steps to ensure you didn't infringe the patent holder can still sue your @ss and win! That is because patents now a days seem to include ideas not just implementation.

I don't think this is good to anyone, but the i4i which ironically sounds like "eye for eye".

[randomwiz]

All's fair in love and war... and patent infringement cases.

[thewhoopimen]

Would you give a kid who repeatedly gest caught stealing property from others a break? NO. Would they go to jail after a second or third offense? YES!

So where is it logical to give a company that continually steals intellectual property from other companies a break? Here's the rub, MS, gets slapped a little fine and... that's it! Where's the jail time after the 20+~ patent and trademark infringmenets?

How about giving the shoplifting kid in jail the break?

[MetalGearBear]

GOOD JOB!!!!!!!! M$ is failure!!!!

[Lou-Cipher]

There goes the next 6 timed exclusive DLC packs for multiplatform games.

Or maybe its the advertising budget for the next Halo game.

[LordMarius]

haha
MS always has to resort to stealing

[edgeofblade]

You clearly have no clue what you are talking about.

...but then, why should I talk to you like an adult? That would be MY mistake.

[Gun_Senshi]

Actually MS Word was not orignal at all, and not created by MS.

[NegativeCreep427]

They Try to hide it for a few years and get away with it.

Lady Luck decides to queef on them and they get caught.

Then they have to pay an egregious amount of money in fraud and corporate misdeed damages.

Xbox fanboys don't even blink an eye and continue to praise and worship it like they do with William Shatner and Mark Hamill.

Yup, just another day at the office at good ol' Microsoft corp!

[JonnyBigBoss]

Plenty more where that came from.

[Shadow017]

Was gonna say something bad about Microsoft but their already taken a beating.

[Tr10wn]

they always get beating here in n4g this site is full of scums fanboys nothing new.

[JD_Shadow]

Yeah, I don't get this patent. You file one to keep others from being able to make documents compatible with other programs, especially something as basic as putting words on a screen? Are you KIDDING me? How hard is THAT gonna be to try to enforce, and who else are they going to try to slam this patent on?

Scary thing is that this judge sided WITH this frivolous patent! Not that Microsoft isn't known for trying to file frivolous patents (custom soundtracks, anyone?), but I agree with them at least on this: they SHOULD appeal this, and SOMEONE needs to get some control over the patent system.

@edgeofblade: Actually, you can only patent a method, not an idea (unlike what so many other people think it is).

MS was trying to patent an IDEA (which actually a COPYRIGHT).

The idea is a good one.

Also, someone can IMPROVE a patent method, then patent the improved version. A copyright is a complete lockout of using any sort of likeliness of an idea or method without permission.

A patent doesn't mean Sony can't do custom soundtracks at all (which was the scare when that news first came out last year...ON APRIL 1ST, NO LESS), and they can actually improve on what MS did and patent it.

That and, like copyrights, patents DO expire (though I believe there's a shorter time frame for them to expire than copyrights have).

[edgeofblade]

Actually, the patent for the method of custom soundtracks isn't a bad idea. If they patent using a certain subsystem to remove a flagged audio source in code, and replace that with user's music... why not? If I were Microsoft, I would want a patent on that too...

And face it... Sony didn't want it until Microsoft did it. If we want to talk about who was innovating, MS clearly did it first and Sony's just now playing catch up. It's hard to deny it... though I'm sure you will try...

@above: And why isn't it a method? Why do you assume they threw together an "idea" and tried to patent it? There is a very clear method to implementing custom soundtracks,k and that is MORE than patentable.

[JD_Shadow]

Umm...so you're saying that it's the only method? If you are, then you deserve all those disagrees you're getting, since you're choosing to not get that concept.

And congrats on wasting your last bubble on something without even bringing up the main point I made about this XML patent being stupid and not worthy of being on the docket (especially since I saw you post above, and we're on the same wavelength on that particular subject), but you couldn't STAND to admit that you have the same thought process as someone who likes a system you want to see fail, do you.

So much for not turning THIS one into a console war, as well!

[Raf1k1]

Am I right to think that MS can no longer sell Word due to the patent infringement and that changing Word to no longer infringe the patent would allow them to sell it again?

[Kushan]

Sure, but the problem is to change word enough, it would have to drop support for its own file format.

[Raf1k1]

I thought it was specifically talking about the use of XML in Word so I assumed that would be the only thing they'd need to change.

Anyway, I think MS will get around it somehow.

[Kushan]

What do you think .docx is?

[No_NaMe]

ahhaha

To bad Sony cant have this money , Microsoft has more money than Sony will ever had and they can lost 50 Bilion they still would own sony !!

Microsoft is just to GOOD!

[pure pwnage24]

actually your wrong

here's Microsoft assets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

and here's Sony's assets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

so pretty much Sony can buy Microsoft 2x.

but it's no surprise since Sony was founded in 1946 and Microsoft was founded in 1975

[wxer]

lol
WHEN I SAW THIS I WAS LIKE

BAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

now kids
this is what they call
" words came out of someones ass "

[Nathan123]

BAM THERE IT IS!!!!!!

FAIL HARDER BOT!!!!

This is not about which company is bigger. Heck, the gaming division of both has the same budget.... Just cause Bill Gates was the richest guy doesn't make M$ the biggest company... Google is bigger than M$... Companies like Apple and Sony can also give M$ a run for it's money since after XP M$ is in a lean phase.

As I said, gaming division of both is equal... But M$ blows half of that on buying PS3 games... So that explains the lack of first party and crappy (or drought of) exclusives....

[PlayTheGames]

Actually you're the one thats wrong

http://www.forbes.com/lists...

http://www.forbes.com/lists...

I'm pretty sure Mircosoft is worth about $143.58 billion and Sony is worth about $17.12 billion. Nice try though

[pure pwnage24]

It's not how much a company is valued, it's about how much money they actually have and is the discussion. you just took the biggest number and slapped it onto a comment and said there!

but it's the assets they own, or I could have taken how much equity Sony has and it would have been bigger than Microsoft's.

[keysy420]

left and right

[darkequitus]

Why all lawsuits in Texas. Do they give them out like candy for some reason?

[Gun_Senshi]

Really Word was just another rip off from yours truly MS, I remember program similar to word before there was windows. It was not by MS and it did use DOS Screen, but it worked the same as MS Word.

[Saaking]

Wow, MS is getting sued all over the place. Serves them right.

[free3sixty]

Sad seeing americans here on n4g wanting MS to fail.

[IcyJoker187]

i mean damn when was the last good 360 game?

id be pissed

luv ya sony! :)

[ultimolu]

Sad seeing that Americans on N4G wanted Sony to fail. I don't want MS to fail because Windows XP is their best operating system but they need to get their sh*t together.

[Lou-Cipher]

Companies like Microsoft/Wal-Mart/Phizer are the main reason this country has bee overrun with corruption,greed,and an overall negative image from the rest of the world.

America is better off without greed, corruption, and the abundance of high powered thieves that run this country.

I love my country, but I'm not oblivious to our faults and failures, and companies like MS are part of the problem.

Microsoft is far more hazardous to the US, then it is beneficial.

[No_NaMe]

Office 2010 and Windows 7 will blow competition away!

Natal and 360 Slim aswell.

Bing is AMAZING!

If this makes Microsoft products even better so i dont give a sh** if they get processed over and over again !!!

[sunil]

troll away dude... troll away

if you think Windows 7 will blow competition away - you are mistaken

Windows 7 will still not run great in PCs that work great with XP. If you had Vista, Windows 7 will be an improvement. If you had XP it will be less disappointing than Vista.

XP rules !

[spooky205]

by the time windows 7 is released vista will be superior. its been this way for years. think about it. do you remember the backlash they got because of windows 98? MS always changes and by the time they get their current operating system on par with their previous one, they release another one that just plain sucks. Since they have almost a monopoly on operating systems i dont see the cycle changing anytime soon.

[Saaking]

So MS can't sell Word anymore? Isn't that like really bad for them. Perhaps they'll give it for free now :)

[sunil]

way to dream

[bjornbear]

just peanuts..

[MaximusPrime]

now Microsoft got a problem...

[sunil]

An understatement...

It does not say they cannot sell word alone, it says they cannot sell anything that can open xml files

that would include, word, ie, excel, powerpoint etc... didnt the latest version of office switch over to xml base?

[Nitrowolf2]

couldn't buy your way out this time MS
lol
but seriously i think these patents sue are getting out of hand, now there that sony and nintendo wi-fi one.

[RAM MAGNUMS]

America exports are crap! No one needs it. The food makes you sick & the machinery breaks.
If it wasn't for the mexicans there wouldn't be a labor workforce.
Read your American history & know the truth. Microsoft should dissapear like enron.

[wxer]

well
its a free country
:D
let them do what they want
LOL

if your supporting the xbox and Microsoft because there American
well thats good for you

but you cant control ppl

sorry :\

[ElementX]

So what about OpenOffice?

[sunil]

Open office might be good, but after using world.. its impossible to work with Open office (star office)

[djtek184]

Hey I'm an American and I would buy M$ products if they are good and reliable , but unfortunately M$ has a history of unreliable products.

[Fadetoblack69]

Yeap - personally I cant wait to see M$ hit the toilets for good. I wouldn't even call them a software company since they've never came up with an original idea on their own and instead have to steal or copy other companies innovations... (Bing, Zune, Xbox, Office, Windows)...

I mean, have they come up with one single original idea, hardware or software, on their own that was actually a success?? Even when they buy or copy someone else's stuff they turn it to crap because they have no skill in anything!

Oh wait, they've got dancing paperclips! ;)

[Thoreau]

on all fronts. court room battles hurt the most, but 290 million isn't anything to micro, but not being able to sell Word hurts.

[Nihilism]

"We believe the evidence clearly demonstrated that we do not infringe and that the i4i patent is invalid. We will appeal the verdict."

which means that microsoft yet again decided to knowingly disregard a legal patent and use someone else's tech, 290million, keep em coming, the justice of money grubbing corporations having to pay up big is music to my ears

[StrboyM]

OuchHahahhahahaDieYouGreedySOB sTakeThatYouStealingBastards... ..

[Coolrah]

at the fanboys for saying that this court case is nothing. maybe by itself but theres been way more and all this money adds up. Even though this court case has BS all over it Ms's track record doesn't help them in this case and the general consensus of alot of Americans is that Microsoft is some evil company that steals and preys on the poor. Which is not true to an extent but hay. There probaly gonna appeal this court case cause Ms has lots of connections.

[kaveti6616]

Eh, MS will just send in a mandatory update that removes the XML formatting method from Word.

[TotalPS3Fanboy]

After seeing Micorosft steals for so many years, it great so finally see some justice done.

"In a separate injunction, the court prohibited Microsoft from "selling, offering to sell, and/or importing in or into the United States" any version of the software that can open custom XML files (with file extensions .xml, .docx, or .docm)."

Best court decision ever.

[monkeys]

ouch ms u got owned there.