Microsoft yanks Office 2007 from online store

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 12 Jan 2010 at 09:29

Microsoft has yanked most versions of Office 2007 from its US online store, after missing its deadline to remove a patented technology from the software.

Visitors to the site looking to purchase the complete Office 2007 suite are currently limited to individual applications, with all other PC and Mac versions accompanied by the message: "this product is currently unavailable while we update versions on our site. We expect it to be available soon."

Microsoft confirmed the measures had been taken to "comply with the court's ruling" demanding that it stop selling the suite by 11 January, after losing a patent infringement suit to Canadian company i4i.

The lawsuit claimed that Microsoft had wilfully infringed a patent held by i4i relating to the creation of custom XML documents in Office 2007.

While Microsoft claimed the injunction would cause "irreparable damage" to the industry, it nonetheless announced that it would have "Microsoft Word 2007 and Office 2007, with this feature removed, available for US sale and distribution by the injunction date.”

However, it appears Microsoft has missed its own deadline. The company is appealing the verdict.