A fight over an obscure content-protection patent could wind up alleviating one of Microsoft's biggest legal headaches, according to digital rights management company Macrovision, a newcomer to the tussle.
Macrovision is sparring with rival InterTrust Technologies over patents each holds on similar digital rights management technologies--similar enough that the United States Patent and Trademark Office agreed several weeks ago to decide whether the two companies' patents actually refer to the same thing, and whether just one company should hold the rights.
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