Microsoft to take Word fight before federal court

 

Gallery

By Stuart Turton

Posted on 24 Aug 2009 at 08:33

Microsoft's fight to prevent an injunction against Word will be heard by a US federal court next month.

Last week, a US district court found that Microsoft had wilfully infringed a patent held by company i4i relating to the creation of custom XML documents, and ordered it to stop selling Word in its current form in the US.

The software giant immediately filed an emergency motion against the injunction, claiming that: "Even if Microsoft ultimately succeeds on appeal, it will never be able to recoup the funds expended in redesigning and redistributing Word, the sales lost during the period when Word and Office are barred from the market, and the diminished goodwill from Microsoft's many retail and industrial customers."

The court says it will hear Microsoft's appeal on 23 September.

The speedy appeal has been welcomed by both companies, with i4i bullish about its chances: "We firmly believe that the US District Court made the right decision on the merits of the case. We are confident that we will prevail on the appeal," says i4i chairman Loudon Owen.

"This is a vital case for inventors and entrepreneurial companies who, like i4i, are damaged by the wilful infringement of their patents by competitors; particularly competitors as large and powerful as Microsoft."

Microsoft claimed to be glad of the opportunity to have its case heard.