Microsoft has suffered a blow behind the bamboo curtain after a Chinese court ordered versions of Windows with a particular typeface withdrawn from sale.

Vole had an agreement with Chinese technology company, Zhongyi Electronic, which designs Chinese character fonts. However the court said that Vole violated the scope of licensing agreements and will have to stop selling its Chinese versions of its Windows 98, 2000, 2003 and Windows XP.

Microsoft said it will appeal the ruling but then it can't be too worried about the ruling. The majority of Chinese copies of Windows XP are pirated and it does not have much interest in propping up Windows 98, 2000, and 2003.

However the whole thing is a little ironic as China has long been the target for foreign companies seeking to protect their intellectual property. Vole itself has suffered greatly at the hands of pirates, probably because its software is so expensive. (Hence the sales ban won't make much of a difference. sub.ed.