Microsoft, Salesforce.com compete in cloud-computing market

Two software giants are battling it out in the courts, both accusing the other of patent infringement.

The competing lawsuits pit Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, against  Salesforce.com, the world’s biggest seller of Web-based customer-management programs.

Both companies are vying for a place in the expanding  cloud-computing market. Last month, Microsoft Corp. filed a lawsuit against Salesforce.com accusing it of infringing on Microsoft technology related to customer relationship management software. The suit requests an injunction against Salesforce.com to prevent it from selling features that Microsoft claims are infringing on its patents.

In response, Salesforce.com recently filed a separate lawsuit claiming that Microsoft’s .Net and SharePoint platforms violate Salesforce.com patents. It requests an injunction to prevent Microsoft from further use of Salesforce.com products, plus unspecified monetary compensation.

California-based Salesforce.com filed its lawsuit in US District Court, District of Delaware in Wilmington on June 24. Washington-based Microsoft filed its suit in US District Court, Western District of Washington in Seattle on May 18.

SOURCE: Decker, Susan and Rochelle Garner, "Salesforce.com Files Patent Lawsuit Against Microsoft Over Cloud Software," Blomberg.com, June 24, 2010. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-24/salesforce-com-sues-microsoft-over-cloud-software-patent-infringement.html