Salesforce Counter Sues Microsoft in Patent Skirmish -- Redmondmag.com

Salesforce Counter Sues Microsoft in Patent Skirmish

By Kurt Mackie
06/25/2010

In a turnabout, Salesforce.com sued Microsoft on Thursday for alleged patent infringements.

The suit appears to be payment in kind for Microsoft. It was filed about one month after Microsoft sued Salesforce.com for allegedly violating nine of Microsoft's patents. In the Salesforce.com complaint filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, Salesforce.com alleged that five of its patents were willfully violated by Microsoft. Both companies compete directly in the customer relationship management space.

A story by TechFlash contains a link to the lawsuit. It also quotes Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff as saying earlier this week that "I guess you know you've made it in software when Microsoft is protesting your event. Or maybe when they've sued you. This is the greatest thing that's ever happened in my career." Benioff suggested that Microsoft representatives were handing out fliers prior to a launch event for Salesforce.com's new Chatter social networking app.

The following Microsoft technologies are alleged to infringe Salesforce.com patents: the Windows Server AppFabric platform; the Windows error reporting system in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2; Microsoft SharePoint; the Microsoft .NET platform (ASP.NET Web services); and the Windows Live delegated authentication system.

Salesforce.com is seeking triple damages for willful infringement by Microsoft. David Boies, a former U.S. Department of Justice official involved in prosecuting Microsoft for its Windows monopoly in the 1990s, is listed as the one of the counsels in Salesforce.com's lawsuit.

Microsoft is currently reviewing the lawsuit and not budging with its own patent infringement suit against Salesforce.com.

"We remain confident in our position and will continue to press ahead with the complaint," said Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft’s deputy general counsel for intellectual property, according to a Bloomberg story credited with breaking the news.

According to the Salesforce.com complaint, Microsoft is infringing these Salesforce.com patented technologies: "Dynamic Multi-Level Cache Manager"; "Method and System for Handling Errors in a Distributed Computer System"; "Work Sharing and Communicating in a Web Site System"; "Java Object Cache Server for Databases"; and "Apparatus and Methods for Provisioning Service."

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

Featured

Using Configuration Files to Control PowerShell Scripts, Part 2: Building Blocks

Learn how to use PowerShell's GUI capabilities to dynamically create configuration files that enhance script flexibility and usability.
U.S. House Leaders Unveil Bipartisan Strategy for AI Governance and Innovation

On Tuesday, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries received the final report from the bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, which outlines essential principles and recommendations to bolster American leadership in AI.
Using Configuration Files to Control PowerShell Scripts, Part 1: The Basics

Learn how to use JSON configuration files to make PowerShell scripts more dynamic, flexible and user-friendly.
Exchange Online Receiving Enhanced Message Trace

Microsoft has announced the public preview of its enhanced Message Trace feature in the Exchange admin center (EAC) for Exchange Online.
Major Microsoft Multifactor Authentication Vulnerability Revealed

A vulnerability in Microsoft’s multifactor authentication (MFA) system has been uncovered by cybersecurity firm Oasis Security, allowing attackers to bypass security measures and access sensitive data across services including Outlook, OneDrive, Teams and Azure.