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STM · **on:** August 12, 2009, 10:05:01 AM

This includes 2003, 2007 and the upcoming 2010 releases.

Quote

On Tuesday, a judge ordered Microsoft to stop selling Word, its flagship word processing software and one of the main components of the Microsoft Office System - namely part of Word 2003 and Word 2007. This also now extends to Word 2010 which contains the same feature set.

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, CNET reports. Microsoft stated that it planned to appeal the verdict. i4i sued Microsoft in March 2007 that Microsoft violated its 1998 patent (No. 5,787,449) for a document system that "eliminated the need for manually embedded formatting codes. "

XML (Extensible Markup Language) is considered a "page description language," with one of its key features being that humans are able to read it legibly, not just PC's and other devices. XML allows developers to create their own tags for data.

In May 2009, a jury in Tyler, Texas, ruled in favor of i4i that the custom XML tagging of Word 2003 and Word 2007 infringed on the patent owned by i4i and ordered Microsoft to pay $200 million in compensation.

In Tuesday's ruling, Microsoft was also ordered to pay an additional $40 million for willful infringement, as well as $37 million in prejudgment interest. Microsoft must comply with the injunction within 60 days and the injunction specifically states that Microsoft way not test, demonstrate or market Word products that contain the XML feature in question.

The Microsoft Office system overall generated a 9.3 billion dollar profit in 2008 alone, and this move would hurt that business immensely.

Source

Do note, stuff like OpenOffice from Sun Microsystems and Google Docs may be affected too if they can handle reading XML code.

Police Girl · **Reply #1 on:** August 12, 2009, 10:12:54 AM

Thats [tornado fang]ing stupid, so what if it can open XML documents? In fact, I've never even HEARD of i4i... what do they do anyway?

STM · **Reply #2 on:** August 12, 2009, 10:35:53 AM

http://www.i4i.com/x4o.htm

This, apparently.

Police Girl · **Reply #3 on:** August 12, 2009, 10:38:32 AM

, I have a simple solution for this... why don't they just use i4i's x4o thing, and say "made with i4i technology" like they did with IE when it used the old Spyglass system?

Align · **Reply #4 on:** August 12, 2009, 04:49:20 PM

It'll be cheaper for them to just pull it back and forth in court for all eternity than to give up sales entirely. Doubt anything will come of this.

STM · **Reply #5 on:** August 12, 2009, 08:44:47 PM

Small time company wants big time money... greed, pretty much.

It's a really retarded ruling and I'm sure Microsoft will wind up just brute-force merging with the company and firing everyone to quietly fix the problem.

Flame · **Reply #6 on:** August 12, 2009, 09:16:53 PM

Looks like Bill's gonna own another company in a while.

[tornado fang]ing petty [dark hold]. What the [tornado fang] are we going to use instead of Word then?
Though he's got balls to sue the richest man in America, that's for sure. Knowing full well that Gates could just swallow him up like he were eating a single chocolate chip.

Jericho · **Reply #7 on:** August 12, 2009, 09:20:19 PM

Gates is so going to pimp hand this issue out of existance now. No Word for both MS7 and Office 2010? Especially with school starting up soon and the holidays on the way?

Flame · **Reply #8 on:** August 12, 2009, 09:24:53 PM

Quote from: Jericho on August 12, 2009, 09:20:19 PM

Gates is so going to pimp hand this issue out of existance now.

Seriously. I wouldnt be surprised in fact, If a rouge missile landed on i4i. Bill Gates is not only the richest man alive, but like a computer God. If this guy got mad, we'd all be screwed.

Waifu · **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2009, 11:10:23 PM

Well, at least I still my Word even if this going to be [Tornado Fang]ing stupid not sell to America but I got to give the guy suing Microsoft some props, even if he does lose I hope he puts a good fight.

Flame · **Reply #10 on:** August 13, 2009, 11:25:46 PM

Gates is so going to have the last WORD on this.

Align · **Reply #11 on:** August 14, 2009, 01:57:11 AM

Word, bro.

Acid · **Reply #12 on:** August 14, 2009, 01:58:55 AM

Microsoft surely EXCELs at forcing their will upon everyone hurrrrrrrrrrrr

Police Girl · **Reply #13 on:** August 14, 2009, 02:01:41 AM

I wonder what their OUTLOOK for the appeal case is.... *Shot*

Waifu · **Reply #14 on:** August 14, 2009, 02:16:12 AM

I only wish they give us ACCESS to the new MS Word.

Flame · **Reply #15 on:** August 14, 2009, 04:12:21 AM

Im pretty sure that they'll have the POWER to POINT out their argument.

HyperSonicEXE · **Reply #16 on:** August 14, 2009, 04:15:11 AM

Hmmm, I might want to take ONE NOTE or two about these puns.

Flame · **Reply #17 on:** August 14, 2009, 04:57:49 AM

You indeed might.
...
What, were you expecting another application pun?

Police Girl · **Reply #18 on:** August 14, 2009, 05:12:03 AM

No, I was expecting somebody to say if they think Microsoft will get their GROOVE back and win the case so their CD PUBLISHER doesn't lose work.

prower42 · **Reply #19 on:** August 14, 2009, 05:40:02 AM

I would like someone to PAINT me a picture of that missile that will own i4i

Skaarg · **Reply #20 on:** August 14, 2009, 05:52:49 AM

God, you guys are so funny. I'll just have to write some of these down in my NOTEPAD of hilarious quotes.

Flame · **Reply #21 on:** August 14, 2009, 01:27:22 PM

I love this topic.

prower42 · **Reply #22 on:** August 14, 2009, 07:51:25 PM

yes... everyone on the INTERNET should EXPLORE this topic

Police Girl · **Reply #23 on:** August 14, 2009, 07:54:35 PM

I wonder if this will get on the FRONTPAGE of the newspaper...

Flame · **Reply #24 on:** August 14, 2009, 09:03:39 PM

MICROSOFT is no doubt going to get i4i to jump out the WINDOW

News

Microsoft Banned from Selling MS Word in the U.S.