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The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on Tuesday said that French-American networking group Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert) has not infringed on Microsoft patents for unified communications technology.

 

In a lawsuit, Microsoft (News - Alert) alleged that Alcatel-Lucent violated four software patents used in business telephone networks. The services referred to in the lawsuit include fixed and mobile telephony, instant messaging, video conferencing, and presence services.

 

The new verdict came after an earlier ruling by administrative law judge Paul Luckern that Alcatel-Lucent was guilty of violating one of four Microsoft patents included in the lawsuit. ITC overturned that decision, stating that the many of the contested patent claims in the lawsuit were invalid.

 

"The commission has determined that there is no violation of section 337 (infringing intellectual property),” said ITC in its ruling.

 

The new ruling is the latest in an ongoing legal spat between Microsoft and Alcatel-Lucent over different patent-related issues.

 

In April, Alcatel-Lucent won a lawsuit against Microsoft in a patent dispute over MP3 audio technology used in Windows, and Microsoft was ordered to pay $367.4 million to Alcatel-Lucent by a federal court in San Diego.

 

"We are pleased with the ITC's decision," said Stephane Lapeyrade, spokesperson, Alcatel-Lucent.

Microsoft is not pleased with the latest ruling. Spokesperson David Bowermaster said that the company is disappointed ITC reversed its earlier ruling. “We are disappointed that the International Trade Commission reversed Judge Luckern's ruling that Alcatel-Lucent infringed Microsoft's '439 patent. We look forward to receiving the detailed ruling so we can understand the Commission's reasoning," said David Bowermaster.