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Microsoft and Autodesk lose product activation patent suit
Z4 Technologies sued Vole and Autodesk claiming that its use of product activation software to stymie piracy was in violation of a patent it owned.
Previously, a jury had awarded the Michigan-based z4 $115 million in damages from Microsoft and $18 million from AutoDesk. Microsoft and Autodesk asked for a retrial, but US District Court Judge Leonard Davis was having none of it.
Not only did he reject Microsoft's and AutoDesk's request for a new trial, he upped the amount that Microsoft must pay z4 Technologies by $25 million. Now Microsoft will have to pay $140 million in damages, and Autodesk will have to shell out $18 million.
It did not go all z4's way. Davis refused to grant an injunction against both Microsoft and AutoDesk from using the disputed technologies.
The companies claim that they had developed their activation software all by themselves and plan to appeal to the US Court of Appeals.
More at Information Week. µ
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