Microsoft Threatens to Stop Selling Microsoft Office over Word Ban
Posted 08/21/09 at 08:28:04 AM by Pulkit Chandna
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Upholding i4i’s patent infringement claim against Microsoft, a US Federal court judge placed an injunction on Microsoft Word on August 11, 2009. Judge Leonard Davis ordered that Microsoft pay the Canadian company i4i $290 million in damages and stop the sale of Word in the US, within 60 days of the pronouncement of the order, until the dispute is fully resolved. Microsoft Word’s default file format Office Open XML is at the epicenter of Microsoft’s dispute with i4i. The XML-based file format infringes i4i’s US patent number 5787449.
On Tuesday, Microsoft filed an appeal against the injunction. It is seeking a stay on the injunction, which it believes could cause "irreparable harm.” It has warned that the ban could force it to stop the sale of Microsoft Office for many months to come.
“Microsoft and its distributors face the imminent possibility of a massive disruption in their sales. If left undisturbed, the district court’s injunction will inflict irreparable harm on Microsoft by potentially keeping the centerpiece of its product line out of the market for months. The injunction would block not only the distribution of Word, but also of the entire Office suite, which contains Word and other popular programs," the company’s filing reads. Although Microsoft can take corrective steps by disabling the XML feature, it will have to cough up a lot of money for that exercise.
Image Credit: Cleveland
Anyone who has had to switch to the Ribbon interface
Submitted by Zazubovich on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 4:55pm
will no doubt feel a little schadenfreude. The new office is teh suck.
Answer me this...
Submitted by quantumnerd on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 1:29pm
How is microsoft somehow evil for making their own file saving system?
It seems that microsoft gets a bad rap just because they're a "big evil corporation". You know, help the little people talk.
Submitted by Zachary K. on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 1:07pm
Just about all businesses and schools use Microsoft
office, and if they stop selling it, oh boy. You don’t need to be a judge to
know that would be bad.
Should've thought of that before you pirated M$
Submitted by Stry8993 on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 10:12am
Now I don't feel so bad about my copy of Microsoft Office 2007 "BLUE EDITION". Suck it up buttercups. One of the richest companies in the world, stop whining, fix it, and move on.
Submitted by mattman059 on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 12:37pm
obviously by your comment you dont know much about business...spending money hurts no matter who you are
Submitted by HeartBurnKid on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 9:14am
As much as I'm not a fan of patent trolls, I must admit to a certain amount of schadenfreude here. Microsoft has built its empire, in part, on (over)zealous enforcement of its software patents, so it's nice to see them on the receiving end for once.
Submitted by snapple00 on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 9:01am
Lol. 290 million? Oh no! I bet Microsoft is scared! That is soo much money! What will they do?! Everyone is going to lose their job! No one has that much money!!!
Submitted by MeTo on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 8:15am
Microsoft says it will "inflict irreparable harm on Microsoft". Microsoft what do you think you did to i4i?
Submitted by snapple00 on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 9:04am
Made a better product, and put them under. But I'm sure if you had your way then all companies would forever be able to live on in happiness no matter how shitty their products are.
Looks to me like a business strategy. Infringe this patent, pay the cost if they catch us. Either way, Microsoft still comes out ahead. TACTICS!
(Go back to smoking your dope you hippy)
Submitted by MeTo on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 9:37am
You can't take a standard .XML and make it bend to your wishes. That is why it was made STANDARD. Microsoft doctored up a standard to suit them self's. Standards are put in place for cross platforms,cross operating systems,cross web browsers what have you to be common standard. There is a old saying don't mess with mother nature. DON'T mess with standards.I know 290 million is a drop in the bucket to Microsoft i hope the judge sticks to his original decision.
Submitted by chemguyca on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 8:10am
Vivre la liberté. Download OpenOffice and free yourself from the yolk of tyranny that is Microsoft. Like young children, they're going to take their ball and go home. I wouldn't miss them.
Submitted by HeartBurnKid on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 9:16am
The suit was about plain text being encapsulated in xml files. What do you think .odf is?
This company's going to go after Sun next.
Submitted by samduhman on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 7:35am
Why do I find this so hilarious! ROFLMAO....oh it's because as a hardcore PC gamer I'm royally peeved at how Microsoft has repeatedly stabbed the PC gamer in the back since the orginal Xbox was released. ;)
Submitted by Spider-Mom on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 1:36pm
Stupid people like make me want to cry, or punch some one(you).
Submitted by Spider-Mom on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 1:36pm
Stupid people like make me want to cry, or punch some one(you).
Submitted by mattman059 on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 7:23am
Sounds like a good time to head over to www.openoffice.org and download OpenOffice :P
Open Office + .docx support
Submitted by Techrocket9 on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 2:51pm
There is a version of OpenOffice that supports .docx. It's called go-oo.org It is also free. http://www.go-oo.org/
_____________________________________________________
An army of pacifists can be defeated by one man with the will to fight.
or, you know, just use
Submitted by nekollx on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 3:11pm
or, you know, just use open office 3.1
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Submitted by Techrocket9 on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 8:10pm
I could be wrong, but I believe 3.1 has read support only.
_____________________________________________________
An army of pacifists can be defeated by one man with the will to fight.
Submitted by N25PHILLY on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 8:36am
I guess a third rate office program is better than nothing
Submitted by MeTo on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 9:15am
Open Office IMHO is first rate and did i say it's FREE!
Submitted by N25PHILLY on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 9:54am
the only thing they got right with openoffice is the price. Considering openoffice only covers what 10-20% of office what do you do to replace the rest?
I would love to see where
Submitted by Tekzel on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 6:14pm
I would love to see where you got your 10-20% figure. My guess is OO fulfills 90% of the needs of 90% of the users of office suites. The rest of the stuff is for the oddball needs.
Submitted by Hutif on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 11:59am
Since this is Maximum PC, I would like to point out these two Articles:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/open_office_30_nearing_launch_%E2%80%93_beta_available_for_download
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/the_best_opensource_or_freeware_office_apps
Both of these consider OO to be viable alternatives to MS Office. The second link includes a few other free office apps as well. You'll find something eventually...
Submitted by nekollx on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 8:16am
i dunno its a injunction against XML, how long before Open Office comes underfire?
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Submitted by MeTo on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 9:12am
To be correct it's about OOXML they should have stayed with .XML standard and they would have been in the clear. Microsoft deviated from the standard.
Submitted by isamuelson on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 8:34am
Nekollx, i4i has already come out stating they looked at Open Office and found that it does not infringe on its patents.
http://gcn.com/Articles/2009/08/17/Federal-future-Microsoft-Word-uncertain.aspx?Page=2
Submitted by Tekzel on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 6:16pm
I am curious how even they could come to that conclusion. I tried to read the patent document and it was a vague, indecipherable piece of shit. As are most documents written by patent trolls.
Submitted by comptech08 on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 9:09am
Well of course, there is not much money in suing Open Office like there is Microsoft.
Submitted by nekollx on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 9:25am
Um where you getting that.
This isnt Jobobks Hack Office we're talking Open Office
Owned by Sun Microsytems...
You know...owners of Java?
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Submitted by comptech08 on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 9:54am
I am not talking about what other things Sun does. Microsofts Word is a cash cow, the Open office suite is free, so Sun is not making near as much money as Microsoft is with their "word" processing software.
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