Judge rules Microsoft must stand trial in IE patents dispute

A US COURT JUDGE has ruled that Microsoft must stand trial (again), accused of patent infringements in its implementation of Internet Explorer.

The University of California and Eolas Technologies Inc launched a suit against the monopolist back in 1999, claiming the company had infringed a patented method to allow a browser to access an interactive application.

Microsoft wanted the case dismissed, claiming Explorer didn't in fact work in manner described in the patent, but now, finally, a US District Judge, James Zagel, has decided the issue should be decided in court.

In a statement, the judge said that parties had criticised each other's contentions pretty well, but provided him with, "limited evidence with which to determine how the browser and operating system work together in identifying and locating an executable application."

Eolas Technologies Inc. was founded by former professor and acknowledged boffin, Michael Doyle, as spinoff from the University of California. The company's web site starts here.

Microsoft was unavailable for comment this morning. µ