Microsoft loses second Word patent appeal, on the hook for $240 million in damages
And the intellectual property rollercoaster continues. The BBC is reporting that Microsoft's second appeal against a judgmentgranting $240 million in damages due to content in Word that infringed on patents held by i4i was today rejected, leaving the Redmond giant with a huge fine to pay atop its undoubtedly sky-high lawyer bills. In the latest ruling, the judges state their belief that Microsoft was explicitly aware of i4i's patents before implementing the relevant XML code into Word, which is about as damning as these things can get. Still, Microsoft might be able to appeal yet again, depending on a panel ruling on the matter, and if all else fails, this can be taken all the way to the Supreme Court. Crazy or what?
>> Wow! I guess when you knowingly abridge someone's patent you can really get slammed? Its odd though that there seems to be an endless remorse when a large company has a patent that frustrates and even sometime hinders a whole industry but when the shoe shifts to the small outfit with a patent that over comes a the big corp, that is great? IP issues are complex and having a patent or two looks like that is part of the game?
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