Microsoft Files 10 Piracy Suits; Gets Sued for Patent Infringement

On Thursday, Microsoft announced that it had filed 10 lawsuits against unspecified people and companies, alleging that the parties had distributed not-for-resale software to unsuspecting customers, Reuters reports in The Boston Globe.

The company filed the suites to protect Microsoft technology from being illegally produced and distributed.

Reuters also reported on another suit filed against the Redmond Washington-based software behemoth.

Visto, the privately held wireless e-mail firm, said Thursday it filed a patent infringement suit against Microsoft for allegedly stealing mobile device technology that Visto and its co-founder developed a decade ago, the reports says.

The company wants a permanent injunction that would stop Microsoft from “misappropriating” Visto’s technology.  

Microsoft was not immediately available for comment, according to the report.

Research in Motion (RIM), Visto’s largest competitor, is currently facing a potential shut-down of it’s BlackBerry e-mail service after NTP, the patent holding company, won an infringement suit against RIM.

By Al Sacco – CXO Media