Earlier this month, Microsoft lost its appeal of a $140 million patent verdict over the product activation process in Windows and Office. Today, the company that holds the patents and brought the original suit, z4 Technologies Inc., sued Microsoft again: PDF, 4 pages.

Z4's new suit alleges that, despite the jury verdict finding Microsoft in violation of the patents, the company has made only an "insignificant change" in the activation process in Windows Vista and Office 2007. The patents held by z4 (6,044,471 and 6,785,825) cover a process for registering software, to prevent unauthorized use. As background, here's the summary from the appeals court's ruling (PDF, 27 pages).

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Windows Vista, Microsoft Office, Activation, Microsoft, Patent, Legal Matters