Operating system technology designer SurfCast has alleged that the Live Tiles display seen on Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices makes use of elements covered in a patent awarded to the firm in 2004.
image: http://feeds.directnews.co.uk/feedtrack/justcopyright.gif?feedid=3832&itemid=800896462 --- # [](https://www.innovation-asset.com/) - [Decipher®](https://www.innovation-asset.com/products-decipher) - [Services](https://www.innovation-asset.com/products/professional-services-0) - [Resources](https://www.innovation-asset.com/resources) - [Blog](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog) - [About Us](https://www.innovation-asset.com/about) - [Contact Us](https://www.innovation-asset.com/contact) # Innovation Asset Blog # Windows 8 already facing infringement claims by [Peter Ackerman](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/author/peter-ackerman) Less than a week after Windows 8 was released to the public, patent infringement claims are swirling around one of its central features. Operating system technology designer SurfCast has filed a U.S. District Court complaint alleging that the Live Tiles display seen on Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices makes use of elements covered in a patent awarded to the firm in 2004. "We developed the concept of Tiles in the 1990s, which was ahead of its time," SurfCast CEO Ovid Santoro [explained](http://www.surfcast.com/news.php) on the company's website. "Microsoft's Live Tiles are the centerpiece of Microsoft's new operating systems and are covered by our patent." Though the website is relatively sparse, it does link to the company's full [intellectual property portfolio](https://www.innovation-asset.com/solutions/modules/decipher_portfolio_management/). The patent in question [describes](http://www.surfcast.com/images/pdfs/US6724403.pdf) a graphical user interface in which disparate content is organized into a grid of tiles that can be refreshed independently of one another. According to [The Next Web](http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2012/10/31/microsoft-sued-for-using-live-tiles-in-its-windows-phone-and-windows-8-software/), the functionality of Microsoft's systems closely mirrors many of the processes illustrated in the earlier application. SurfCast's case could also be bolstered by the fact that its patent was previously listed as relevant prior art by examiners processing a similar application from Microsoft in 2009.  ### [Peter Ackerman](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/author/peter-ackerman) Founder & CEO, Innovation Asset Group, Inc. [October 30, 2012](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/windows-8-already-facing-infringement-claims) ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### Introducing Decipher® ### Categories - [Intellectual Property Management (459)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/intellectual-property-management) - [Commercialization and Licensing (210)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/commercialization-and-licensing) - [Invention Disclosure (201)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/invention-disclosure) - [Innovation Strategy (20)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/innovation-strategy) - [Ideas for Good (6)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/ideas-for-good) - [Innovation Team (3)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/topic/innovation-team) ### News Archives - [January 2013 (26)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2013/01) - [September 2012 (25)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/09) - [October 2012 (22)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/10) - [November 2012 (22)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/11) - [November 2010 (21)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2010/11) - [February 2011 (21)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2011/02) - [July 2012 (21)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/07) - [December 2012 (21)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/12) - [January 2012 (20)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/01) - [March 2012 (20)](https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/archive/2012/03) ##### Portland, Oregon USA ##### © Innovation Asset Group, Inc. ##### [Privacy Policy](https://www.innovation-asset.com/privacy-policy/) | [Terms & Conditions](https://www.innovation-asset.com/terms-and-conditions/) | [Contact Us](https://www.innovation-asset.com/contact/) -