Microsoft: injunction on Word means 'irreparable harm' for users and companies

As the US District Court of Eastern Texas last week ordered Microsoft to stop shipments of Word in 60 days time after it was found to have violated an XML patent held by i4i, the software giant made a statement warning that it will suffer "irreparable harm" and that "major public disruption" will result if it is forced to comply with a US court ruling.

In a statement the company says that the court’s injunction will mean Office is kept out the market for months as it redesigns Word and the whole suit so as to remove an offending XML patent.

Microsoft has said in a court filing to stay the injunction: "Even if Microsoft ultimately succeeds on appeal, it will never be able to recoup the funds expended in redesigning and redistributing Word, the sales lost during the period when Word and Office are barred from the market, and the diminished goodwill from Microsoft's many retail and industrial customers."

Microsoft’s lawyer named Best Buy, Hewlett-Packard and Dell along with Microsoft as those who will "face the imminent possibility of a massive disruption in their sales" that would be caused by the redesign and attempt to push the new version of Office through the entire distribution network by October 10.

Besides, the company also expressed its concern about customers who will be "stranded without an alternative set of software" during the re-development work that Microsoft said would cause a "major public disruption". This pain would prove a "complete waste of time" should Microsoft ultimately win on appeal.