Zhongyi Electronic Sues Microsoft, Claims Breach of Intellectual Property Rights

By Raju Shanbhag

TMCnet Contributing Editor

 

Chinese information technology company Zhongyi Electronic Ltd. is suing Microsoft (News - Alert) Corp. for alleged intellectual property rights violations.

 

Microsoft has disputed this claim.

 

Zhongyi’s claim includes the use of Zhengma, a Chinese input method editor that allows computer users to enter Chinese characters using Western keyboards.

 

According to the company, Microsoft has signed contracts for the commercial use of the company's fonts and the input method editor in its Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems.

 

The company, based Beijing, has brought the case to the city's No.1 Intermediate People's Court. The court started proceedings on the case Tuesday, according to materials dated Wednesday posted on Zhongyi's Web site.

 

Microsoft claims the agreements to use the fonts and input methods were formed under the supervision and guidance of the Chinese government agencies. Microsoft also said that it respects intellectual property rights and said that it uses third party IPs only when it has a legitimate right to do so.

 

Zhongyi said it has not yet provided a litigation target since they do not know how many sets of Windows OS are in use. The company said that Microsoft has not paid Zhongyi for 10 years since they paid for Zhengma in Windows 95 in 1999. In addition, Microsoft has not signed contracts for the commercial use of the fonts or the IME for Zhengma.