Reveals Brad Smith, general counsel at Microsoft

Sep 28, 2011 13:04 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has signed a new Android patent license agreement, and the most important such deal to date, with Samsung, according to Brad Smith, general counsel at Microsoft.

Smith stressed that as in many other similar cases, the Redmond company would be compensated for the use of Google’s open source Android mobile platform in Samsung’s smartphones and tablets.

Of course, the actual details of the agreement, including the financial terms were not shared with the public by either party.

It appears that this particular intellectual property deal is about much more than just royalties for Samsung’s mobile phones and tablets running Android.

According to the software giant, the agreement also involves the duo cross-licensing their respective patent portfolios. And last but not least, Microsoft and Samsung have partnered over the development and marketing of Windows Phone.

“Through the cross-licensing of our respective patent portfolios, Samsung and Microsoft can continue to bring the latest innovations to the mobile industry,” noted Dr. Won-Pyo Hong, executive vice president of global product strategy at Samsung’s mobile communication division.

“We are pleased to build upon our long history of working together to open a new chapter of collaboration beginning with our Windows Phone “Mango” launch this fall.”

Andy Lees, president, Windows Phone Division, Microsoft applauded the deal and noted that both companies see opportunity for dramatic growth with Windows Phone.

The IP agreement with Samsung is the seventh that Microsoft signed in the past few months after similar deals with Acer, General Dynamics Itronix, Onkyo, Velocity Micro, ViewSonic and Wistron.

“Together with the license agreement signed last year with HTC, today’s agreement with Samsung means that the top two Android handset manufacturers in the United States have now acquired licenses to Microsoft’s patent portfolio,” noted Smith and Horacio Gutierrez, deputy general counsel, Microsoft.

“These two companies together accounted for more than half of all Android phones sold in the U.S. over the past year. That leaves Motorola Mobility, with which Microsoft is currently in litigation, as the only major Android smartphone manufacturer in the U.S. without a license.”