Uniloc Wins Big Against Microsoft

Uniloc Inc, a little know software maker, won big against Microsoft this week when a jury found that Microsoft infringed Uniloc's patent on anti-piracy software.

Uniloc creates software that generates unique identities for licensed users and prevents unauthorized use or copying of programs. Think software that tags OS disks and keeps you from sharing them with millions of other users. The company had accused Microsoft of infringing on a patent in the anti-piracy software registration system Microsoft uses as part of the Windows XP, Office XP, and Windows Server 2003 activation system.

This recent decision is only a part of an ongoing lawsuit that dates back to 2003. In an earlier judgment the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island found in favor of Microsoft that no infringement had occurred. The case had been remanded back to the District Court for a trial last August by the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Wednesday's decision will likely be appealed again by MS and certainly won't signify the end of the lawsuit.

"We believe that we do not infringe, that the patent is invalid and that this award of damages is legally and factually unsupported," said a Microsoft spokesman. "We will ask the court to overturn the verdict."

The case: Uniloc USA, Inc., et al v. Microsoft Corp., et al, U.S. District Court District of Rhode Island (Providence), 1:03-cv-00440-S-DLM.