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Wednesday Aug 12, 2009
Microsoft forced to stop selling Word over an XML Patent?
I just saw on Cnet an article titled Judge orders Microsoft to stop selling Word. OK it's Microsoft you may say. I'm more concerned over the guts of this one. The lead paragraph is:
Judge Leonard Davis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a permanent injunction that "prohibits Microsoft from selling or importing to the United States any Microsoft Word products that have the capability of opening .XML, .DOCX or DOCM files (XML files) containing custom XML," according to a statement released by attorneys for the plantiff, i4i.
So if patent 5,787,449 has been used to stop Microsoft from selling such products, what (if anything) does it bode for things like OpenOffice.org?
Posted at 05:35PM Aug 12, 2009 by Alan Hargreaves in General | Comments[2]
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If it's "custom XML", it is likely that it pertains specifically to Microsoft, so chances are high OpenOffice is unaffected by this.
I guess the crux of the matter is what exactly "custom XML" means in this particular case?
Posted by ux-admin on August 12, 2009 at 11:30 PM EST #
It would seem that Microsoft is getting hammered a lot these days. They have also produced a lot of unsuccessful product too. I don't feel sorry for Microsoft but I would like them to succeed.
Did you know that Bill Gates is one of the biggest philanthropist in the World?
Posted by Chris R on August 13, 2009 at 02:54 AM EST #