Microsoft has posted an update for Word 2007 that strips out the custom XML tagging feature, after the company lost its long-running patent battle.
The software giant confirmed it would take the action in December, after a US court of appeals upheld a $290 million jury verdict against it for infringing a patent held by a small Canadian software firm, i4i.
The verdict prevents Microsoft from selling versions of Word containing the offending feature after 11 January 2010, meaning that any US customers who install their shop-bought copy after this date will need to apply the patch. And it sounds like Microsoft will be nagging you about it.
“You must install this update if you are instructed by Microsoft in a separate communication,” Microsoft notes in its patch notes.
Any copies installed before 11 January will not be required to apply the patch. The company has already produced a patch for PC makers who factory install copies of the office suite.
The 12.3MB patch will be rolled out to US customers over the coming week. Microsoft also claims it’s working on a similar patch for Office 2003, despite the fact that the suite wasn’t included in the original verdict.
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