A federal appeals court scolded the federal judge who managed the Eolas patent case, telling him that he improperly disallowed key evidence that could show Eolas's patent is invalid due to prior art. The case once threatened to change the way Microsoft's browser treated rich media and many ads - not to mention costing that firm half a billion dollars in (now on-hold) court awards. The issue will now be sent back to the castigated judge to be retried, according to a CNET report.