Amazon, Microsoft sign patent deal

 

Summary

Under the terms of the deal, which covers both the Kindle and Amazon's use of Linux-based servers, online retailer will pay Microsoft an undisclosed sum.

Events

IBM Technology Conference & Expo 2012
May 23, 2012

Convention Centre B2 Room at 22nd Floor, Centara Grand @ Central World, 999/99 Rama I Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330

Echelon 2012
June 11 and 12, 2012

University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore

Startup Asia Jakarta 2012
June 7 and 8, 2012

12th Floor, Annex Building, Wisma Nusantara Complex, Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 59 Jakarta 10350, Indonesia

MMA Forum Singapore
April 23-25, 2012

Grand Hyatt Singapore

Microsoft and Amazon announced on Monday that the two have entered into a patent cross-licensing deal.

As part of the pact, Amazon will pay Microsoft an undisclosed amount of money, though the two sides did not disclose more details.

The deal covers both Amazon's Kindle product as well as the company's use of Linux-based servers. Microsoft has maintained that many implementations of Linux infringe on its patents and has signed numerous licensing deals that cover Linux with both companies that sell Linux-based software and those that use the operating system in their hardware.

Microsoft, which started an intellectual property licensing push in late 2003, has deals with scores of companies ranging from Novell to Samsung and Fuji Xerox.

"We are pleased to have entered into this patent license agreement with Amazon.com," Microsoft deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez said in a statement. "Microsoft's patent portfolio is the largest and strongest in the software industry, and this agreement demonstrates our mutual respect for intellectual property as well as our ability to reach pragmatic solutions to IP issues regardless of whether proprietary or open source software is involved."

This article was first published as a blog post on CNET News.

Talkback

Amazon, Microsoft sign patent deal

What crap! What blackmail! What patent?

One February 23, 2010

RE: Amazon, Microsoft sign patent deal

Indeed. If I was a major stock owner of either of those companies I would demand to see which patents that are being licenced - and tell the board to screw the NDA. Microsofts "230 patents" that they never disclose publicly (although a few really sad ones were outed regarding FAT in the TomTom case). If they really bothered about "IP" they would point at the patents and let open source engineer around them. This is however NOT their agenda - they want to make open source non-gratis (because a price of 0 is a very scary competitor).

Jens February 23, 2010

RE: Amazon, Microsoft sign patent deal

Indeed. If I was a major stock owner of either of those companies I would demand to see which patents that are being licenced - and tell the board to screw the NDA. Microsofts "230 patents" that they never disclose publicly (although a few really sad ones were outed regarding FAT in the TomTom case). If they really bothered about "IP" they would point at the patents and let open source engineer around them. This is however NOT their agenda - they want to make open source non-gratis (because a price of 0 is a very scary competitor).

Jens February 23, 2010

Amazon, Microsoft sign patent deal

Microsoft is a pathetic piece of slime. What they are doing is running an extortion racket at the expense of Linux. They are basically collecting money for code they did not lift a finger to write. HELLO LINUS!! , Moglen, Linux Foundation, OSI Is anyone going to speak up and sue Microsoft or are you going to sit back and let them rake in license fees for work that you have done? How do you linux and GNU coders enjoy working for free for Microsoft? I guess the community does not have the stomach to take on MS about this issue so they are going to sit back and let the Microsoft slime monetize their labor and do nothing about it. Way to go open source community.

Andydread February 23, 2010
Add your opinion

In order to post a comment, you need to be registered. (Sign In or register below)

Post your comment

ZDNet Asia Live

A dedicated portal for the local games industry will be launched next month by the Media Development Authority... http://t.co/WXJkZ0pV

Better biz models needed for sustainability http://t.co/B5DebtKB http://t.co/erFSwAUB #arcavir

http://t.co/VNaUVSe1 Better biz models needed for sustainability: Companies now see sustaina... http://t.co/i0P8D1Fw http://t.co/wiqTBKkj

Pacnet CEO departs; acquisition rumors gain #steam http://t.co/QSCFfCcy

5 SaaS adoption speed bumps to avoid http://t.co/AJQYAkOh via @zdnetasia

RT @SecMash: #InfoSec Malaysia organizations don't realize severity of cyberattacks - ZDNet Asia http://t.co/vFzACdwm #CyberSecurity

Experience trumps content in apps monetization http://t.co/MVPlf9gR

Better biz models needed for sustainability. http://t.co/tXuq7174

Sudden departure of Pacnet CEO, no explanation - ZDNet Asia: Sudden departure of Pacnet CEO, no explanationZDNet... http://t.co/UVG3OKCG

@ChemarieMonica : Malaysia organizations don't realize severity of cyberattacks - ZDN... http://t.co/iO8wdbz8 http://t.co/1QrdIsaV #tech

Malaysia organizations don't realize severity of cyberattacks. http://t.co/QK7PKdaP

RT @daryllau: Malaysia offers some manufacturing benefits over China http://t.co/mH23Uumr

Malaysia organizations don't realize severity of cyberattacks - ZDNet Asia http://t.co/HniF8J72 #news

#InfoSec Malaysia organizations don't realize severity of cyberattacks - ZDNet Asia http://t.co/vFzACdwm #CyberSecurity

http://t.co/bTDnDh7J Malaysia organizations don't realize severity of cyberattacks - ZDNet Asi... http://t.co/CzsMF2zn #infosec #security

So much as we know , MTK6575 extremely integrated frequency1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, the superiority of 3G / HSPA Modem, and help the...

1 day ago by y15822137359 on 5 SaaS adoption speed bumps to avoid

I reckon your view: "CRM is strategy, not software", if a company replicating the approach uses in ERP implementation into CRM, what they...

2 days ago by wykoong on Gartner: Mobile CRM gives better ROI than social

This video will teach you about the Excel fill handle but also provide you with a workook to download... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

2 days ago by TradeBrother on A quick fill handle trick for Microsoft Excel

waiting...

4 days ago by eapete on What should count in a company's market value?

Boy, you've opened a can of worms now.

Wait for the rants & raves.

4 days ago by eapete on What should count in a company's market value?

I was puzzling before this whether to replicate the success formula we executed for a financial institute, and come out with a standard s...

5 days ago by wykoong on Drop the egos, copy ideas, then innovate