The software maker asked for either a hearing before the full appeals court or for the partial panel that heard its case to grant it a new hearing.

A jury last year ruled that the custom XML feature in Office 2007 infringed on an I4i patent and a judge imposed both monetary damages and issued an injunction barring sales of Office containing the offending feature.

"Today Microsoft filed a petition with the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for both panel rehearing and rehearing en banc in the I4i case," Microsoft said in a statement. "The petition details significant conflicts we believe the December 22 decision creates with established precedents governing trial procedure and the determination of damages, and we are concerned that the decision weakens judges' authority to apply appropriate safeguards in future patent trials."

Full Story: http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/software/0,39044164,62060451,00.htm

I knew it would happen. It was a bad ending.

Why don't they cut the losses, change the code and move on.

I don't think the decision will be altered.