Microsoft to pay US$520.6m for patent infringement

Eolas Technologies Inc., which filed for patent infringement back in 1999, has won its case against Microsoft. The software giant is now required to fork over US$520.6 to the Illinois company.

Eolas Technologies Inc., which filed for patent infringement back in 1999, has won its case against Microsoft. The software giant is now required to fork over US$520.6 to the Illinois company.

According to Eolas, Microsoft made use of plug-in and applet technology it had designed. The patent can be found here. Microsoft's use of this technology in Internet Explorer apparently allowed it to equal Netscape in capabilities. A statement from Microsoft however said that it developed the technology with existing software and its own engineers.

The founder of the company, an ex-professor of the University of Chicago named Michael Doyle, was after US$1.2 billion.

Microsoft has appealed the decision.

Source: Yahoo! Finance