Electronic greeting card firm Blue Mountain Arts has won another
round in its battle with Microsoft
Corp.
Late Thursday, a Santa Clara County (Calif.) Superior Court issued a
preliminary injunction stopping Microsoft from setting up filters in its
Outlook Express mail program that treated greeting cards from Blue Mountain
as junk mail.
The companies’ battle began in December when Blue Mountain sued Microsoft,
alleging filters in a beta version of Outlook Express 5.0 were stopping its
cards from reaching Outlook Express users. The company charged Microsoft
took the action to stop anyone from competing with a similar service
Microsoft recently put on its MSN portal.
Thursday’s ruling extends a temporary restraining order issued in December
until a decision is reached in the case. The judge also required Microsoft
to alter its filtering so Blue Mountain cards are not placed in a separate
folder.
Microsoft was given 30 days to comply. Company spokesman Tom Pilla said the
company was reviewing the decision and would decide soon whether it would
appeal.