Vole hired a mole

MICROSOFT IS SUING a former employee after finding out that it didn’t do its homework properly when inviting the Ancora Technologies boss into the company.

Microsoft claims that Miki Mullor applied for the job under false pretences, using his role in the company to gain access to information of a confidential nature.

Mullor joined the company in November 2005, claiming that Ancora had gone out of business – yet Ancora was still very much alive, and Mullor was none other than chief executive.

Still, he got the job and while at the company was in perfect position to download confidential documentation relating to the patent complaint Ancora filed in June last year against Dell, HP and Toshiba. The patent case states that the companies use of certain Microsoft technology violated an Ancora patent.

Microsoft claim that, "The documents downloaded by Mullor relate directly to the subject matter of Ancora's Patent Action, these documents had no bearing on Mullor's work at Microsoft at the time."

After Microsoft fired Mullor back in September 2008 the outline of the patent case was put up on the Ancora website claiming that, "To secure each copy of (Windows), without burdening the honest user, (PC makers) use a technology known as System Locked Pre-Installation (SLP) to protect Windows against piracy. SLP is Ancora's technology and is covered by our pioneer patent, US Patent 6,411,941.

"This lawsuit is about protecting our patent rights from being infringed by HP, Dell and Toshiba," said Mullor.  "This is not David vs. Goliath. This is David vs. three Goliaths."

The patent case is programmed for trial in a Los Angeles federal court at the beginning of 2010. μ

L'Inq
SeattlePI