Microsoft Ordered To Stop Selling Word

A Texas judge has ordered Microsoft to stop selling Word because it infringes a patent.

Back in May, Microsoft lost a high profile patent infringement case when a Texas judge found in favor of Canadian software firm i4i. The Redmond giant was ordered to pay $200 million as a royalty for infringing a 1998 i4i patent issued in 1998, U.S. Patent No. 5,787,499. The software covered by that patent removed the need for individual, manually embedded command codes to control text formatting in electronic documents, and Microsoft used technology in several products, including Word 2003 and Word 2007.

Now East Texas Judge Leonard Davis has order Microsoft to pay $40m for the willful infringement, and another $37m in prejudgment interest. On top of that, the company also has to fork over $21,102 ever day until final judgment is reached, as well as $144,060 a day until the final judgment of damages is reached.

The judge also banned Microsoft from selling Word products which can open files containing items that use the patent. The company has 60 days to comply.