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"Last week, we reported on a ruling that effectively barred Microsoft from selling Word unless they remove functionality that violates a patent belonging to a company called i4i.  \nNot surprisingly, Microsoft is appealing the ruling, but for the moment, they\u2019re also asking for more time, as the judge in the case had ordered the company to comply within 60 days.  \nAs CNET notes, complying entails a lot on Microsoft\u2019s part.  According to the company\u2019s court filing:\n\u201CUnless Microsoft is able to redesign Word and push that redesigned version through its entire distribution network by October 10th ... Microsoft and its distributors (which include retailers such as Best Buy and OEMs such as HP and Dell) face the imminent possibility of a massive disruption in their sales.\"\nMeanwhile, i4i\u2019s Chairman Loudon Owen tells Mashable in a statement:\n\"The appeal was fully expected given the significance of the case and the flagship status of Microsoft Word to the defendant. i4i will continue to vigorously enforce its patent. We firmly believe the jury verdict and judgment were both fair and correct and we have been vindicated through this process.\"\nThe company\u2019s representatives also assert that the problem impacts the entire Office suite (since Word is included), telling us:\n\u201CIf you take this motion at face value, Microsoft is communicating they are in a huge bind \u2013 explicit in making this motion an emergency \u2013 talking about Office, not just Word, effectively coming off the shelves.\"\nSo how will this all end?  It\u2019s hard to image a scenario where we\u2019ll see Word or Office actually end up being unavailable for purchase.  More likely, we\u2019ll see ongoing legal back and forth or a settlement between Microsoft and i4i.  That said, if the judge doesn\u2019t grant the company more time, they may have to move fast to get a compliant version of Word ready to ship, just in case."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2009/08/19/microsoft-word-ban/>