 |
Wednesday, May 4, 2005
Microsoft loses a round in Eolas patent case
Microsoft Corp. lost a U.S. appeals court bid to limit the damages software makers can be ordered to pay in some patent-infringement cases, on its way to a new trial in a dispute over a method of surfing the Internet.
A jury had told Microsoft to pay Eolas Technologies Inc. $521 million for infringement. Yesterday, an appeals court let stand its earlier decision that upheld the infringement finding and ruled that Microsoft can be forced to pay damages based on overseas sales of software. Microsoft still gets a new trial to argue that the patent is invalid.
The case involves a 2003 award to closely held Eolas by a jury that decided Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser infringed an Eolas patent on technology for reading information stored on the Internet.
Intel Corp. and Time Warner Inc.'s America Online supported Microsoft's argument that damages in such patent-infringement cases shouldn't include global sales when disks containing software code have been sent overseas.
Microsoft said in court papers that more than 64 percent of the $521 million award was based on computers "made, sold and used entirely in foreign countries."
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled March 2 that Microsoft's software on computers sold overseas was covered by a U.S. patent because it had been copied from a master program developed in the United States.
My web site
My Yahoo!
Google
|
Stocks |
· 'Twelve Days of Christmas' items would cost $86,609
· The Insider: Internet shoppers take down Sears site
· Yahoo rumors stir doubts
· Workplace Coach: Don't let hard times take toll on staff
· Fuel cell push gets a charge
· Bargain shoppers leave retailers holding breath
· Budget shoppers click and clip
· Small Business: Being small can help in downturn
· Biodiesel sold overseas still gets U.S. tax credit
· Business Calendar
· People on the Move
more· October construction spending drops 1.2 percent
· Manufacturing index drops to 26-year low
· AP IMPACT: Under pressure, US eased lending rules
· Stocks fall sharply after dour economic data
· FBI: Birmingham Mayor arrested on federal charges
more· Spending spam in Israel could mean a big fine
· Fuel-cell powered devices getting closer
· Fuel-cell powered devices getting closer
· Black Friday traffic takes down Sears.com
· Clearwire and Sprint unit close WiMax merger
more
101 Elliott Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 448-8000
Home Delivery: (206) 464-2121 or (800) 542-0820
seattlepi.com serves about 1.7 million unique visitors
and 30 million page views each month.
Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com
Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com
©1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Terms of Use/Privacy Policy
