Patent Trouble for new Windows 8 Runs Microsof into Troubles

The newly launched Windows 8 Operating System has already run into patent trouble, with a US Maine based company named Surfcast alleging that it had patented the concept of Live Tiles as far back as the 90s.
The live tiles are an integral feature of Windows 8 and refer to self updating dynamic tiles that have replaced the familiar start menu. Each tile can be dragged around and its positioning changed, as can clusters of tiles. Each cluster can also be customised to one’s tastes — by adding or subtracting individual tiles in the cluster.
The live aspect means that every application is constantly updating in the background even if it is not being actively used.
A statement on the SurfCast website from Ovid Santoro, identified as the CEO of the company read, “We 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.”