[ Thanks to Steven J.
Vaughan-Nichols for this link. ]
“This is serious stuff. At one time, a U.S. District Court had
ruled that Microsoft couldn’t sell any version of Microsoft Word or
Office that could create .XML, .DOCX, or .DOCM files. Had that
injunction been enforced immediately, there would have been a time
during the fall of 2009 when you couldn’t have bought Office 2007
or 2010. That’s no longer in the cards because Microsoft removed
the offending code in December 2009, but besides wanting its
$200-million fine back, Microsoft wants, according to Thomas
Hungar, of the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, who represented
Microsoft before the Supremes. ‘Microsoft wants the patent system
strengthened, and the patent playing field fair and balanced.'”