LONDON — Microsoft Corp. and Alcatel-Lucent are embroiled in another patent infringement case and the software giant has asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to begin an investigation. It claims the French communications group is infringing on some of its patents related to "unified communications" products.
"The systems and products at issue in this investigation integrate the features of data networks and traditional telephone networks, allowing the user to configure communications options in multiple ways from a single interface, such as a computer display," according to the ITC.
Microsoft filed its complaint last month and the ITC agreed Tuesday (March 21) to investigate. The software giant is seeking to bar Alcatel-Lucent from importing products that it says infringes on patents for three of its technologies: Microsoft Communicator, Communications Server and Exchange Server.
Alcatel-Lucent said it would contest the claims.
Last month, in a separate case, a federal jury in San Diego, California ruled that Microsoft infringed on two MP3 patents owned by Alcatel-Lucent and awarded the French company $1.5 billion in damages, although Microsoft plans to appeal that decision.
The companies are also locked in an IPR suit related to video coding technology used in Microsoft's games consoles.
