Thursday, March 3, 2011

Microsoft Joins With Google On Patent Suit

In an unusual move, technology rivals Microsoft and Google have set aside their differences to file a lawsuit against an aggressive patent holder, which apparently has been pursuing users of Microsoft Bing Maps and Google Maps. In a lawsuit filed in the Delaware District Court, Microsoft and Google are seeking to have a patent owned by GeoTag, Inc. overturned. Microsoft and Google claim that patent examiners overlooked "prior art" in granting the patent, which GeoTag has apparently been aggressively using to sue companies. GeoTag owns a 1996 patent covering using the Internet to accessing geographically and topically based information.