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Microsoft Sues To Protect Visual Studio Users

Three companies are seeking indemnification from Microsoft after being sued for using technology associated with Microsoft's Visual Studio software development platform, according to an IDG News Service story published on Monday.

The case involves Allstate Insurance Co., Dell Inc. and Federal Express Corp. All three companies are targets of a federal suit filed in Delaware by WebXchange, according to a story by Nancy Gohring.

WebXchange, based in Menlo Park, Calif., holds a patent on an e-commerce routing technology. Microsoft filed a lawsuit last week in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco against the company. Microsoft seeks to have WebXchange's patents in the cases against the three companies declared invalid.

The WebXchange lawsuits affect Visual Studio, as well as the SOAP Protocol and Web services, according to a story by CNET News' Ina Fried.

A statement from Microsoft, cited by Fried, called WebXchange's patent infringement lawsuits "spurious," as well as "invalid and unenforceable."

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

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