Patent Suit Shone on Microsoft's Silverlight

Posted 07/05/2008 at 11:55am | by Paul Lilly

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The battle between Adobe's Flash format and Microsoft's competing Silverlight software to deliver rich internet applications (RIAs, not to be confused with the RIAA, an entirely different beast in every sense of the word) to your browser may come down to which technology search engines are better able to index. Adobe recently announced a new initiative with Google and Yahoo towards making the Flash file format (SWF) more easily visible to each site's respective spiders, leaving Microsoft noticeably missing from the group pow-wow.

The reason why Microsoft wasn't included in the announcement remains unclear, but perhaps the software giant is banking on Silverlight becoming the dominant format. Or maybe Microsoft simply isn't worried about the Silverlight format's ability to be indexed. But if MS isn't worried, Gotuit Media is. Gotuit Media sells software enabling developers to add text data to video clips making them more searchable, and the company claims Microsoft's Silverlight software infringes on several of its patents. In court filings, Gotuit Media complained that Silverlight gives users the ability to add "metadata tags in order to enable video search and navigation and provide a personalized viewing experience," and is seeking an injunction preventing Microsoft from using the technology. Adding a bit of intrigue to the situation is Microsoft's upcoming on-demand video coverage of the Bejiing 2008 Olympic Games on NBCOlympics.com.

So far neither side has been willing to comment on the suit, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. Does Gotuit Media have a leg to stand on?