Microsoft Loses $140 Million Patent Appeal
It may be pocket change for Microsoft, but the company and CAD software maker
Autodesk
have
been ordered to pay privately held z4 Technologies over $140 million for
technology they used to activate newly installed software and deter piracy.
The appeals court agreed that the method used by Microsoft and Autodesk infringed
on patents created and owned by David Colvin, the owner of z4.
According to the ruling, Microsoft's Windows XP and Office 2003 suite of productivity
software used z4's patented method of asking buyers of the software to supply
two passwords, or authorization codes, before they could use the software. Microsoft
had claimed that the patents were invalid.
In case you're wondering where your license fees go to, Microsoft must have
huge legal bills. Wish some of that could go into improving products or support?
Let me know at [email protected].
Posted by Peter Varhol on November 27, 2007