ITC will hear Microsoft complaint against Taiwanese Co.
PC World | at | by Mike
The U.S. International Trade Commission will investigate a patent infringement complaint filed by Microsoft against a Taiwanese company. In the complaint filed July 30, Microsoft alleges that Primax Electronics infringes the software giant's patents used in peripherals including keyboards and mice. Microsoft is asking the ITC to ban the importation of the products. Within 45 days, the ITC will say how long it expects the investigation to take. After that, the administrative law judge assigned to the case will make an initial determination about the violation, which then must be reviewed by the commission. Microsoft's complaint cites seven patents covering a variety of mechanisms such as the scroll wheel, laser and ergonomic shape of a mouse. Some of the patents were filed as far back as the late 1980s, but others are more recent.