A US based company SurfCast has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft in the US District Court in Portland, claiming that the company has infringed its patents by using some technologies used in its Windows 8 and Surface products.
The company has sought unspecified damages from Microsoft for using elements known as live tiles, rectangular icons linked to websites, apps and other items.
SurfCast claimed that Microsoft has violated its Patent No. 6,724,403 by using these elements in its Windows 8 and Surface products which the company had developed in the 1990s.
SurfCast CEO Ovid Santoro said that the company had developed the concept of Tiles in the 1990s, which was ahead of its time.
"Microsoft’s Live Tiles are the centerpiece of Microsoft’s new Operating Systems and are covered by our patent," Santoro said.
The lawsuit filed in the court alleged that Microsoft is using the tiles technology on operating systems including the recently launched Windows 8 as well as used in personal computers, phones, tablets and other devices.
Microsoft however dismissed the allegations and said that the claims don’t have merit.
