Microsoft Will Tweak Windows Following Patent Dispute

by Glen Shapiro, LawAndTax-News.com, New York

08 October 2003

Microsoft announced this week that it will be making minor changes to its Internet Explorer browser technology as a result of a patent dispute ruling earlier this year in favour of Eolas Technologies.

In August, Eolas and the University of California were awarded $520.6 million by a federal jury, which ruled that Microsoft had taken technology which allows users to access interactive programs embedded in web pages (patented by UC and administered by Eolas), and bundled it with Windows as its own ActiveX technology.

The software giant revealed that by early next year, it expects to have made changes to Internet Explorer's handling of web pages which use ActiveX controls, such as Flash, QuickTime, RealOne, Acrobat Reader, Java Virtual Machine, and its own Windows Media Player.

Speaking to the US media, Microsoft spokesman, Mark Murray explained that:

"Even though there hasn't been a final judgment filed, we think it's very important to work with people in the industry to reduce or eliminate the impact of the ruling."

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