On May 18, 2010, Microsoft Corporation filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Salesforce.com, Inc., claiming some of the company’s web applications and services, along with the hardware and software used to run them, infringe nine of its patents. Salesforce.com’s customer-relationship management (CRM) software is the target in the infringement lawsuit, a software that competes with one of Microsoft’s programs. Microsoft seeks treble damages, a permanent injunction and attorney’s fees. 

Named as the patents-at-issue are:

·         US Patent No. 7,251,653

·         US Patent No. 5,742,737

·         US Patent No. 5,644,737,

·         US Patent No. 6,263,352,

·         US Patent No. 6,122,558,

·         US Patent No. 6,542,164,

·         US Patent No. 6,281,879,

·         US Patent No.5,845,077, and

·         US Patent No. 5,941,947.

SOURCES:  Susan Decker and Rochelle Garner, “Microsoft sues Salesforce.com for infringing patents,” Business Week, May 18, 2010 (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-18/microsoft-sues-salesforce-com-for-infringing-patents-update1-.html); Microsoft Corporation v. Salesforce.com, No. 02-CV-00825 (W.D. Wash. May 18, 2010) (Complaint for patent infringement).