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July 16, 2008 12:00 PM PDT

Microsoft faces lawsuit over Silverlight

by Ina Fried
  • 15 comments

Microsoft's latest legal headache is a suit from a little-known company called Gotuit Media, which charges elements of Silverlight infringe on the video metadata company's patented technology.

In a suit filed July 2 in San Francisco Federal Court, Gotuit charges Silverlight infringes on several of its patents and seeks an injunction against the software maker as well as damages and attorney's fees.

Track on Silverlight

Microsoft plans to use Silverlight to allow visitors to NBCOlympics.com to watch multiple events at the same time, as well as view streaming commentary. Gotuit cited these plans as part of its patent infringement suit.

(Credit: Dan Farber/CNET News.com )

Gotuit may be a relative unknown, but Microsoft is facing an opponent it knows quite well. Gotuit is represented by San Francisco-based lawyer Spencer Hosie, the same Hosie that successfully represented Burst.com in its .

Hosie declined to comment on the Gotuit case.

Of note, Gotuit, in its complaint, mentions specifically Microsoft's plans to use Silverlight in conjunction with video metadata as part of its powering of the NBCOlympics.com Web site. Silverlight is Microsoft's rival to Adobe's Flash for Web video, among other uses.

Microsoft spokesman David Bowermaster said the company had yet to be served in the case, "so we're not in a position to comment."

Gotuit has a range of products used by customers like Lifetime television to make it easier to search and navigate through online video.

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About Beyond Binary

During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft.


Beyond Binary is a look at how technology is changing our lives and the people behind all that life-changing stuff, with an extra emphasis on that which emanates from Redmond, Wash.

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