A US court has ordered Microsoft to pay the University of California and a browser technology company $520.6 million (€460.7 million) in damages for patent infringement.
The suit, originally brought against the world's largest software maker in 1999 by Eolas Technologies, charged that Microsoft had used Eolas's patented Web-browser technology, which allows other mini-applications to work with Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, according to court documents.
Eolas had argued that the technology for "plug-ins" and "applets" made it possible for Microsoft to compete against the Netscape Navigator browser.
Netscape, which became part of AOL Time Warner, later lost its position as the top Web browser to Microsoft's Explorer.
Eolas, an Illinois company founded by former University of California professor Mr Michael Doyle, had originally sought licensing fees that would potentially have totalled $1.2 billion.
Mr Martin Lueck, who heads the business litigation group at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, which represented Eolas and the University of California, said the verdict was "very fair and reasonable.
Microsoft said it would appeal the decision in the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. - (Reuters)
An internet worm targeting users of Microsoft's Windows operating software was spreading rapidly around the world yesterday, triggering computer crashes and slowing Web connections.
The worm, dubbed Blaster, but also known as LoveSan or MSBlaster, first emerged on Monday carrying a message for the Microsoft chairman: "Billy Gates why do you make this possible? Stop making money and fix your software!!"
Blaster targets computers running Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows NT and Windows Server 2003, Microsoft said.
It has also been timed to attack a Microsoft security website distributing the patch needed to stop the worm in its tracks before it hits millions of users, security experts warned.
The worm targets the latest versions of the Windows software and experts predict home-users will be the worst affected.
Microsoft urged computer users to visit http://www.microsoft.com/security/ to download the patch to protect their system.
