Microsoft fights Word sales injunction

[Jos]

Microsoft has filed an “emergency motion” to stay a judge’s ruling that threatens to prevent the company from selling its widely used word processing application. The issue boils down to a custom XML function in Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007 that allegedly infringes on a patent held by Canadian firm i4i. Although Redmond claims it is expending enormous human and financial capital to come up with modified versions, failing to do so within the court’s 60-day deadline could potentially keep Word and even Office off the shelves for months.

In its motion, Microsoft asked an appeals court to halt that injunction and also to speedily hear the company's appeal once it is filed. The software giant argues that the patents in question are invalid and furthermore claims the injunction could cause "irreparable harm" to the software giant's business and to its partners.

The stakes are high and alternative productivity suites such as OpenOffice.org or even Google Docs certainly would love to capitalize on this. There are a few possible outcomes, though, and somehow I doubt Office ceasing to be available is one of them. Microsoft could still buy some time with the appeal to work on non-infringing versions of Word or perhaps reach an out-of-court settlement with i4i.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/35887-microsoft-fights-word-sales-injunction.html

 

[raybay]

Microsoft has had 17+ years to fix this issue... It is time to pay the Piper.

 

[captaincranky]

Although Redmond claims it is expending enormous human and financial capital to come up with modified versions, failing to do so within the court’s 60-day deadline could potentially keep Word and even Office off the shelves for months.Read the whole story

Wow, a big lie followed up with a very thinly veiled threat.

Ah M$, how do I loathe thee, let me count the ways.

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

@Raybay: Forgive my ignorance, but if Microsoft is being sued over XML functions featured in Office 2003 and 2007, how have they had 17-plus years to fix the issue?

 

[raybay]

Way too many years went by when MS had more power... they cannot slicker the system now, methinks, without paying a major penalty... This problem has been around an ignore since Office 1997... no, since Office with no year in the title.

I just got an offer from Microsoft today... I can get Office 2007 Small Business for ONLY $339 plus shipping if I order today... but a college student can get Office Home and Student can get part of Office for $88 plus S&H... but it doesn't work in concert later with an upgrade version.

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

@Raybay: Even if that were the case, 1997 was 12 years ago not 17-plus, (I took my sock off to be extra sure).

 

[Guest]

I think Raybay's referring to some of Microsoft's less-than-savory business practices, not the xml issue. I'm not understanding where the 17 years figure is coming from though, as XML was developed in 1997, and so far as I know Word never user its forerunner, SGML. The xml system was introduced to Word in the 2007 edition (thus the docx extension), and support for it was added to older versions in the form of compatibility updates. Obviously THIS problem has not been around for 17 years, or even 12. If it had been around that long, they'd have already been sued for it in any case.

Whether or not the lawsuit is legit... well I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility, seeing as a Canadian firm that designs Word add-ins for working with XML would probably have had to show Microsoft their code at some point.