Microsoft has been granted the right to a fast-track appeal against the recent injunction forcing it to stop selling Word in the US after 10 October.

The request was granted by a panel of federal judges, who refused to acquiesce to Microsoft's other demand to nullify the injunction altogether.

A Microsoft spokeswoman said: "I can confirm that the court has set an expedited schedule for this appeal."

A federal judge ruled on 10 August that the software giant was guilty of infringing a patent held by i4i, a Canadian firm specialising in Word XML authoring software, slapping it with a $290m (£122m) fine and a ban on selling Word in the US from October.

The fast-track appeal decision now means that Microsoft will be able to make its case to the appeal judges more quickly than would usually be the case. An oral hearing is set for 23 September.

Microsoft would not comment further, except to say: "We believe the court erred in its interpretation and application of the law in this case and look forward to the 23 September hearing before the US Court of Appeals."