Microsoft announces it has signed agreement with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.:
Microsoft announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., to cross-license the patent portfolios of both companies, providing broad coverage for each company’s products. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will receive royalties for Samsung’s mobile phones and tablets running the Android mobile platform. In addition, the companies agreed to cooperate in the development and marketing of Windows Phone.
It is interesting that Samsung signs a cross-licensing deal with Microsoft while fiercely fighting Apple in court over patents and other things.
Well, Samsung already licensed Windows OS for its portable computer in addition to producing Windows Phone 7-based devices.
In related news, Google says that Microsoft-Samsung license deal is “extortion”.
I wonder what Google said about the deals Microsoft made with HTC over Android licensing?
Related read:
Samsung takes Android patent license from Microsoft rather than wait for Motorola
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What if Apple asked Samsung to pay royalties for every Android devices sold? Would Samsung take that deal? That’s exactly what Samsung is doing with regard to the deal with Microsoft.
