The legal saga between former partners Microsoft and i4i is finally over, as Microsoft has complied with a court order to offer modified versions of Office.
Toronto-based i4i won an injunction when a federal court agreed Office 2003, Office 2007 and Office for Mac 2008 infringed on i4i's patents. The Redmond-based company agreed to remove the technology in question, even though it needed additional time.
Microsoft faced a temporary ban if it didn't agree to make changes, which led the company to remove the questionable XML code.
"We look forward to continuing to build i4i's business now that Microsoft is obligated to comply," said Loudon Owen, i4i Chairman, in a statement. "i4i stands ready to work with the wide range of customers that require this custom xml functionality."
Microsoft removed almost all versions of Office for sale, except for the pricey $679 Office Ultimate edition, through its online sales portal. The regular version of Office 2003 is still available via MSDN, but Office 2003 Professional was removed earlier today as well.
"We've taken steps to comply with the court's ruling, and we're introducing the revised software into the U.S. market," the company noted in a statement. "This process will be imperceptible to the vast majority of customers, who will find both trial and purchase options readily available."
As BetaNews noted in the past:
The original plaintiff in this case, one-time Microsoft partner i4i, defends its patent for separating markup from content in the context of the market it serves: the pharmaceutical industry. Microsoft’s arguments, judging from the appeal, will very likely include that i4i cannot claim patent legitimacy for a limited application of a concept that very obviously existed prior to the filing — a bit like patenting the idea of driving a car to a hospital.
i4i was an unknown technology company, but is now better recognized due to this high-profile legal case.
Microsoft has been under an additional level of scrutiny in the United States and Europe for antitrust and patent infringement cases. The European Commission (EC) is willing to heavily penalize Microsoft whenever the company is in violation of its laws -- and the U.S. DoJ and court system also has been more willing to hear infringement cases.
