Microsoft's New Lawsuit from Visto

Microsoft has had a new patent infringement lawsuit coming its way from Visto. Visto is suing the software giant and claiming that Microsoft violates the patented technology that provides access by mobile users to e-mail stored on behind-the-firewall servers. They filed the lawsuit against Microsoft in U.S. District Court in Texas.

Visto claims that the patent infringements came from Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 platform. Visto president and CEO Brian A Bogosian said in a statement "Microsoft has a long and well-documented history of acquiring the technology of others, branding it as their own, and entering new markets… In some cases, they buy that technology from its creator. In other cases, they wrongfully misappropriate the intellectual property that belongs to others. For their foray into mobile e-mail and data access, Microsoft simply decided to misappropriate Visto's well known and documented patented technology."

The CEO also added: "Innovative companies have been pummeled out of existence or into minor players after Microsoft decided to enter their markets. Netscape and RealNetworks are among the best known examples. Courts around the world have ruled time after time against Microsoft, saying that it has acted either inappropriately or in violation of the law, especially concerning how they have treated competing companies. We will not let that happen to Visto."

"Mobile users now know that Visto provides a safe and secure harbor that today Blackberry cannot offer its own customers," Visto's Bogosian said.

Visto's signed a licensing agreement with NTP. They currently hold patents that have claimed RIM violates with its BlackBerry devices. NTP's patents go together with Visto's patents regarding mobile e-mail and data access.