Patent dispute weighs on Microsoft

Article Excerpt

MICROSOFT CORP. $25 (Nasdaq symbol MSFT; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 8.9 billion; Market cap: $222.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.8; WSSF Rating: Above Average) may have to stop selling Word, its word-processing program and a key part of its top-selling Office software package. A court has ruled that Word violates a patent held by Toronto-based i4i Inc., whose technology makes it easier to find and classify documents stored in databases. The ruling only applies to sales of Word in the U.S. Microsoft is appealing the decision. If it loses, it would have to redesign the program or license the technology from i4i. Either way, this dispute will probably force Microsoft to delay next year’s launch of a new version of Office. The uncertainty could also dampen demand for its upcoming Windows 7 operating system. Microsoft is still a hold. hold…