IP Engine already scored victories against AOL and Google in November 2012 after a Virginia jury found that the two firms had infringed the same two patents that it is now alleging Microsoft's Bing is infringing. However IP Engine, despite the verdict, was able to win only $30m in damages from the two firms, significantly lower than the $696m it had been seeking.

According to IP Engine, Microsoft willfully infringed its patents, a statement that is used to try to increase any damages that might be awarded. Interestingly, one of IP Engine's patents is similar to a patent application filed by Microsoft in 2003 with the US Patent and Trademark Office but was rejected.