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Microsoft Corp. was hit with a $1.52 billion jury verdict Thursday in a dispute with Alcatel-Lucent over rights to the MP3 music technology. The Redmond company vowed to appeal the ruling, and warned that hundreds more companies could face similar actions from Alcatel-Lucent if the verdict stands. Microsoft said it properly licensed the technology from a German research institute, and it argued that even if it were liable, the jury used flawed logic to determine the amount. If Alcatel-Lucent succeed in this patent case, it may spell trouble for hundreds of different companies which uses this technology. Other companies which uses this technology may be forced to pay royalties. Smaller companies might rather stop using the technology completely rather than paying a royalty which they cannot afford. It may also spell an end to the all famous MP3 format. But anyway let’s look at the bright side. New formats might take over such as windows media audio.