Microsoft loses jury verdict in patent case to z4

Microsoft was ordered to pay $115m, and Autodesk was required to pay $18m to David Colvin, the founder of z4 Technologies, who sued the two software companies in federal court in Texas, claiming they appropriated two of his anti-piracy software patents with Autodesk's AutoCad programs and Microsoft's Office and Windows XP.

In March 2006, Microsoft was forced to modify its Internet Explorer browser to reduce any liability it may have as a result of a patent dispute with University of California-backed company Eolas Technologies.