News 

Zhongyi Electronic Ltd, a 100-employee firm, alleges that Microsoft has used its "Zhengma" inputting technology and fonts in Windows without commercial agreement for a decade, the official Xinhua news agency reports.

The lawsuit puts Microsoft in the unfamiliar position of defending its intellectual

ADVERTISEMENT

property practices in China after years of fighting piracy of its software there. Microsoft denies the allegations.

"Microsoft hasn't paid us for 10 years, since they paid for using Zhengma in Windows 95 in 1998," Lan Dekang, general manager of Zhongyi, is quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Microsoft said in a statement that it had the right to use Zhongyi's product and fonts after the two parties entered into agreements under the supervision of Chinese government agencies.

"Microsoft has fully performed its obligations including paying Zhongyi the license fees in accordance with the license agreements," the statement reads.

Proceedings in the case began on Tuesday in the Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court. Zhongyi has not yet established a litigation target because it does not know how many sets of Windows operating systems are in use, Xinhua reports.