Reuters: Technology News: Microsoft sued over search-related patents

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Microsoft sued over search-related patents Jan 31st 2013, 17:20 Tweet Share this Email Print Related News RPT-Smartphone cases- Built to survive drops, floods - and lawsuits? 11:20am EST U.S. court rejects Apple's bid to raise damages in Samsung case Wed, Jan 30 2013 Apple trademarks design of its retail stores Tue, Jan 29 2013 Facebook search to generate revenue, no rival to Google: analysts Wed, Jan 16 2013 Analysis: Apple bid for Samsung sales ban faces skeptical court Mon, Jan 7 2013 Analysis & Opinion Supreme Court conundrum: How far does a soybean seed patent go? Facebook's search has been found The interior of a Microsoft retail store is seen in San Diego January 18, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Mike Blake By Erin Geiger Smith NEW YORK | Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:20pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - A lawsuit filed on Thursday alleges Microsoft Corp has been infringing patents that allow Internet search engines to most effectively place advertisements. I/P Engine Inc said in the suit filed in Manhattan federal court that Microsoft uses search technology based on inventions by two employees of I/P Engine's parent company, Vringo Inc. Microsoft uses the technology in systems that generate advertisements and associated links for users of the world's largest software company's search engine, Bing, the lawsuit said. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Vringo declined to comment. In November 2012, a Virginia jury awarded I/P Engine approximately $30 million in damages after it found that companies including Google Inc and AOL Inc had infringed the same patents that are at issue in the Microsoft suit. Following I/P Engine's announcement of the verdict, however, its parent company's stock slid by as much as 10 percent. The company had been seeking damages of at least $696 million. In the lawsuit filed Thursday, I/P Engine claimed that Microsoft has willfully infringed its patents. I/P Engine said that one of its patents was referenced by the U.S. Patent and Trade Office in 2003 when the agency rejected a similar Microsoft patent application. In patent cases, a party can win higher damages if infringement is found to be willful. Vringo shares were last up 10 cents, or 3.2 percent, at $3.24 in midday trade on the American Stock Exchange. Microsoft shares were down 30 cents, or 1.1 percent, at $27.55 on the Nasdaq. The case is I/P Engine, Inc v. Microsoft Corp, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 12-688. (Reporting by Erin Geiger Smith, editing by G Crosse) Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above.

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