The jury of the Rhode Island federal court has finally given its verdict against Microsoft Corp, in the much-prolonged patent infringement lawsuit filed by anti-piracy software maker Uniloc Inc.

Smacking Microsoft with one of the biggest patent awards of damages on record, the jury Thursday ordered the software maker to pay $388 million for infringing Uniloc's patent on software that generates unique identities for licensed users, as well as thwarts attempts of illicit use or copying of programs.

In its filing of the case in 2003, Uniloc had alleged that its patented products were being used unlawfully by Microsoft in the Windows operating system and parts of its Office productivity suite. The jury delivered its verdict after it was established that Microsoft had indeed violated anti-piracy patents held by Uniloc.

Visibly disappointed by the court verdict, Microsoft intends to go in for an appeal. The software maker and a few other tech vendors have called for a revamping of patent regulations which they assert facilitate frivolous lawsuits and disproportionate awards.

Reacting to the court ruling, a Microsoft spokesman said: "We believe that we do not infringe, that the patent is invalid and that this award of damages is legally and factually unsupported. We will ask the court to overturn the verdict."