Microsoft wins new appeal in i4i patent case

The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear Microsoft's appeal in the patent case with i4i, which covers a number of technologies related to the handling of XML code.

Canada-based i4i had accused Microsoft of infringing on its patents with certain XML components in Microsoft Word.

A US district court in Texas found Microsoft in violation of i4i patents in 2009. The eventual ruling ordered Microsoft to pay $290m and halt sales of Word in the US.

Microsoft later averted the sales ban by including tools to remove the offending XML components from Word, but the company's efforts to appeal against the decision had been denied by higher courts.

Microsoft had all but said that it would attempt to take the case to the Supreme Court in recent months. Following a ruling against the company by the US Federal Court, Microsoft said that the case represented an important precedent in patent litigation.

I4i, meanwhile, has contended that the ruling constitutes a victory for smaller developers and helped send the message that small firms could prevail in court.

A Supreme Court ruling is expected by the summer of 2011.