An appeals court on Friday rejected Microsoft Corp.'s challenge to a $142 million trial loss over patents on a way to prevent software piracy.

"Substantial evidence supports the jury's verdict" that Microsoft infringed two valid patents owned by closely held z4 Technologies Inc., the appeals court in Washington, D.C., ruled.

[...]

"There's something about it that strikes us as, 'How'd that happen?' " said Andrew Culbert, chief Microsoft patent counsel. He said Microsoft probably will ask the court to reconsider.

Page 3 is the best part of the interview. Mr. Hilf talks about having a "map" (which wasn’t correct, as Information Week pointed out); he then adds:

Classically, our preferred plan is to license our technology in a very proactive and productive way versus litigate.

Which doesn’t answer the questions: what, are, these, patents?

Mr. Hilf, please tell us. We all want to know. Please.