Microsoft loses $200m patent verdict

WASHINGTON: Microsoft Corp, the world's largest software maker, was ordered by a federal jury to pay $200 million to a Canadian company over a patented way to process electronic documents in Microsoft's Word products.

A federal jury in Tyler, Texas, found that Microsoft infringed a patent owned by closely held i4i LP. The award is the amount sought by i4i, which claimed that Microsoft willfully used the patent.

The judge can increase the damage award based on the willfulness finding, and i4i can seek a court order blocking further use of its invention.