Patents, Trademarks, MCPP at Issue

Patents remain a hot legal issue for Microsoft: in early 2004 the company lost an infringement judgment over printing technology and settled a case over music downloads. Microsoft also adjusted a protocol licensing program to remain in compliance with its antitrust settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ), faced a setback in its trademark infringement suit against Lindows, and cancelled a game that another company claimed violated its trademark.

30-Plus Patent Cases Outstanding

Recent developments in two patent infringement cases illustrate the ongoing threat Microsoft faces in this arena.

Printer patents infringed. In a Jan. 2004 summary judgment, Judge William Browning of the U.S. District of Arizona found that Windows and Office infringe on four patents related to printer technology. The patents cover a technology known as Blue Noise Mask, developed by the University of Rochester, which makes it easier for printers to create the appearance of shaded areas using patterns of dots. The suit was brought in 2001 by Research Corporation Technologies (RCT), a company that specializes in commercializing academic patents.