SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - An Israel-based company has accused Microsoft of infringing on patented technology that allows people to download files, software updates and other background information without clogging bandwidth. BackWeb Technologies claims Microsoft's Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) violates three patents for processes that lets users transmit digital information in "background mode" with minimal interference with other network applications.
According to BackWeb's federal lawsuit, "BITS transfers files in the foreground or background, throttles the transfers to preserve the responsiveness of other network applications, and automatically resumes file transfers after network disconnects and machine restarts."
When Microsoft released BITS version 3.0 in 2007, six years after the original, it added the capacity to transfer files in a peer-to-peer network. BackWeb claims this infringes on another patent for a "unique and novel method for distributing data packages across a hybrid peer-to-peer network."
The plaintiff is represented by Spencer Hosie of Hosie Rice LLP.
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