Nope, Bill didn’t go overboard downloading the entire iTunes catalogue. Instead, news has just surfaced that Microsoft has lost a case to Alcatel-Lucent over licensing of MP3 technology and is now faced with a $1.5b USD (£750m UKP) payout.
Apparently, one of Alcatel’s labs was involved in the creation of the MP3 format, alongside a German company called Fraunhofer. Microsoft stated it had already payed $16m USD (£8m UKP) to Fraunhofer in order to license the MP3 rights, but a San Diego court has found in Alcatel’s favour. Microsoft is of course appealing the court’s decision, and we imagine that Fraunhofer’s other licensees‘ lawyers might be a tad busy right now.
(Via BBC online)
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