Microsoft accused French Alcatel-Lucent of breaking patent rights

23rd March 2007

The world's largest developer of software, American Microsoft company has accused French manufacturer of telecommunication equipment Alcatel-Lucent SA of violation of patent-right towards products of "unified communications systemâ€. Microsoft in February 16 of this year filed the action to the USA International Trade Commission (ITC) demanding the banning of import into the United States Alcatel-Lucent products violating patent rights towards the three products of â€œthe unified communication systemâ€ Microsoft Communicator, Communications Server and Exchange Server. The USA ITC decided to begin an investigation of the case. USA ITC is an independent federal agency that carries out the analysis of commercial agreements and investigates the cases of discriminating trade policy, and has the authority to ban the import of goods that violate American patent law. Earlier, in March 2007 the district court of San-Diego had dismissed the case of Alcatel-Lucent to Microsoft towards violations of patent rights to the speech recognizing technology. At the same time, in February 2007, the federal court of the United States in another lawsuit of Microsoft against Alcatel-Lucent took the side with the French company and obliged Microsoft to pay $ 1.52 billion as a compensation for the violation of patent right of Alcatel-Lucent in elaboration of digital music technology.