Microsoft patent case stirs software export fears
C|Net | at | by Mike
It's not every day that both the U.S. government and advocates of free and open-source software align themselves in court with Microsoft.
But a high-stakes patent case, set to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday morning, has attracted a slew of briefs supporting the Windows maker's stance in a complex battle with AT&T over rules governing software code exported to foreign locales.
The question boils down to whether American software makers are required to pay up for infringing on U.S. patents based not only on the number of software copies they supply on their home turf, but also on copies that foreign manufacturers make abroad.