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Microsoft request for patent suit review is nixed

(AP) -- A federal appeals court has rejected Microsoft's request to review a $290 million patent ruling against the software maker.

Microsoft had asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for a review by its full roster of judges. In December, a three-judge panel from that court had upheld a lower court ruling that Microsoft infringed on patents held by i4i Inc., a Canadian software company.

The technology in question gives Microsoft Word users an improved way to edit the computer code that tells the program how to display a document's contents.

In a statement, i4i said it's delighted with the outcome. Microsoft says it is disappointed and is considering its options for going forward. That could include an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.