Microsoft removes a patent from list of claims against Barnes & Noble
Software giant Microsoft yesterday filed a motion the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to remove the so-called "522 patent" from the list of patents that it claims Barnes & Noble's Nook e-readers violates.
The patent withdrew by Microsoft covers the technique of showing tabs, for instance in a browser.
Microsoft said it removed the patent so that it could concentrate on its case. The company said in a statement, "We removed the patent from the ITC investigation to streamline and simplify the issues to be considered at the hearing as is often done in ITC proceedings. It was not a concession on the merits."
Now Microsoft and Barnes & Noble will only argue over three patents. The "233 patent" covers the way that allows users can take notes in e-readers without changing copyrighted work. The "372 patent" cover the technology that shows text before showing backgrounds. The third patent, "551 patent", refers to the way users choose the area around text and change its size.
Meanwhile a recent report by Bloomberg claims that staff attorneys at the ITC recommended that Judge Theodore Essex found that Barnes & Noble had not violated on three Microsoft patents.
The dispute with Barnes & Noble is a part of Microsoft's broader attack on rival firm Google's Android OS, which powers the Nook e-reader and the Nook Color tablets. Apart from Barnes & Noble, Microsoft is also suing Motorola Mobility for using Google's Android.
