Microsoft loses Word patent appeal, will change code

Microsoft has lost an appeal in a patent case that will force it to alter Microsoft Word to avoid an injunction on sales of the product.

Microsoft lost a patent case involving a company called I4i in May, after a jury ruled that Microsoft infringed one of i4i's patents with a custom XML feature found in Word. In August an injunction was placed on sales of Word pending the appeal, which did not go in Microsoft's favor Tuesday.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the ruling (click for PDF) from the appeals court which upheld the lower court's decision in its entirety. This is both a vindication for I4i and a war cry for talented inventors whose patents are infringed," said Loudon Owen, chairman of I4i, in a statement.

The technology in question involves "any Microsoft Word products that have the capability of opening .XML, .DOCX or DOCM files (XML files) containing custom XML," according to a copy of the injunction released in August. I4i's Owen said at the time that his company wasn't out to force a halt in sales of one of Microsoft's most profitable products, and it doesn't appear that will happen.

Microsoft said it planned to remove the feature from all copies of Microsoft Word 2007 that will be sold on or after January 11, 2010. Prior copies of Word 2007 are not affected by the injunction, and Word 2010 is being designed without the infringing technology, the company said.

Read more -here-