MICROSOFT WILL HAVE TO TIP UP in court at 10am on July 8th 2003 to defend itself against allegations of patent infringement in a case that could force the software giant to cease to sell all versions of Windows from Windows 95 onwards. Eolas Technologies Inc and the Regents of the University of California claim Microsoft has browser technology they patented in building its all-conquering browser, Internet Explorer, without permission. And Judge James B. Zagel, having recently ignored the monopolist's plea for the case to be thrown out, today set a date for the showdown.
University Eolas Technologies launched a suit against the monopolist back in 1999, alleging infringement of US patent 5,838,906 and seeking damages, as well as a permanent injunction" to force Microsoft to ease the manufacturing, use and sale of all infringing products, including versions of Microsoft Windows from Windows 95 to the present".
The patent covers work by former-professor and Eolas founder, Michael Doyle and two staff members, David Martin and Cheong Ang, on a browser technology that allows fully-interactive program objects to be embedded in World Wide Web documents.
News source: The Inq
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