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Due to Microsoft's patent fight with Eolas Technologies, Microsoft has an update planned for Internet Explorer that may hinder the way Flash content appears in IE browsers visiting certain websites.

The way IE handles Flash or other dynamic content could change as soon as Microsoft's Patch Tuesday arrives on April 11th. Updates to the Active X handlers of Flash have been available for IE users as an option, but Microsoft wants to avoid drawing the wrath of the judge presiding in its suit with Eolas, CIO.com reported.

If websites that use Flash to display dynamic content update those applications with workarounds created by Microsoft and Adobe, Macromedia's new parent company, their users should not encounter any problems when visiting with IE.

Otherwise, those IE users may see the security bar popup every time they go to a Flash site that hasn't implemented those workarounds yet. That popup does not affect the functionality of a Flash application, but could prove bothersome to users who are not used to the interruptions.

Although April 11th had been previously cited as the date where the update would happen, further testing could cause a delay, the article said:

"Currently that update is in the testing phase and could be released as early as April," said Stephen Toulouse, security program manager with Microsoft's security response center. "But of course, that isn't final," he added.

There has been some confusion over the date of this next release. Earlier this week, Microsoft's Customer Support Services group published a note saying that the changes were expected on April 11, but that announcement was pulled, because that date is "not finalized," Toulouse said.
The case between Microsoft and Eolas has spent the better part of three years in the court system. An appellate court tossed out a January 2004 judgment against Microsoft for $565 million, ordering another trial.

Microsoft then tried to get the Supreme Court to reduce the judgment by $360 million, saying copies of IE distributed outside the US should not be counted in the lawsuit. However, the Supreme Court turned down that appeal without comment.

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David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.