Microsoft Word to Stay On Shelves For Now

Microsoft has won its appeal to impose a stay upon an injunction against the sale of Microsoft Word in the United States.

Microsoft last week appealed for a stay against an injuntion that would prevent the company from selling or importing Microsoft Word to customers in the United States. The injunction was the result of a lawsuit from Toronto-based i4i, a company that won a patent infringement suit against Microsoft at the beginning of August. Along with the injunction, Microsoft was ordered to pay damages amounting to $290 million to i4i.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit yesterday granted Microsoft the temporary reprieve yesterday, ruling that the company had done enough to deserve the stay. "We are happy with the result and look forward to presenting our arguments on the main issues on September 23," Microsoft spokesman Kevin Kutz said in a statement.

A spokesperson for i4i told CNet News that the Microsoft's "scare tactics" cannot shield it from the Federal Circuit Court's upcoming review. "Microsoft's scare tactics about the consequences of the injunction cannot shield it from the imminent review of the case by the Federal Circuit Court of Appeal on the September 23 appeal," i4i Chairman Loudon Owen said in a statement. "i4i is confident that the final judgment in favor of i4i, which included a finding of willful patent infringement by Microsoft and an injunction against Microsoft Word, was the correct decision and that i4i will prevail on the appeal.

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