Thread: Microsoft resolves VPN copyright case

Computerworld Company Microsoft today said it will disburse communications software creator VirnetX $200 million to decide a three-year-old patent intrusion case.

In the unique February 2010 court case, Scotts Valley, Calif.-based VirnetX claimed Microsoft used its unproved practical private networking technologies in Windows XP and Vista, Windows Server 2003, Live Communications Server, Windows Messenger, Office Communicator and Microsoft Office from the 2003 edition on.

In a combined declaration Monday, VirnetX and Microsoft announce that both lawsuits would be dismissing as piece of the $200 million settlement. Microsoft will also license the VirnetX patents, the companies thought.

Microsoft is no stranger to the Tyler, Texas court where VirnetX won its judges decision. That venue was also the sight of a nearly-$300 million decision against Microsoft in August 2007, when a judges held that Microsoft unlawfully used Canadian developer i4i's XML editing technology in the famous Word line of word dispensation software.

In January 2010, Microsoft exposed the custom XML tagging technology from Word 2007 to meet Davis' deferred deadline. Word 2010, which was officially launched to businesses last week, does not include the technology.