14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has been steadily adding a consistent number of companies to the list of members of its IP licensing program, the latest of which was announced on March 3rd. Kanazawa-based I-O Data has inked an intellectual property agreement with Microsoft, designed to cover the company’s use of Linux and open source software in its products. The deal will be beneficial to I-O Data customers, who, according to the Redmond company, will be offered patent covenants for their use of I-O Data devices that include the Linux platform, but also additional open source software.
“We’re pleased to reach this agreement with I-O Data,” David Kaefer, general manager of Intellectual Property Licensing at Microsoft, revealed. “Microsoft has a strong track record of collaboration with companies running Linux-based offerings, and this agreement is a reflection of our commitment to partner with industry leaders around the world.”
Microsoft’s patent coverage for products running Linux and open source, considered by many to be controversial, has already been used by many companies to deliver IP peace of mind to their customers. In the past, Microsoft licensing chief Horacio Gutierrez stated that Linux and open source solutions violated approximately 235 Microsoft patents.
In the specific case of I-O Data, the agreement with the Redmond giant covers the Japanese company’s network-attached storage devices and routers, both of which run Linux. Patent covenants are a guarantee from Microsoft that it won’t sue I-O Data’s customers for patent infringement. The terms of the deal were not made public, including the financial details, but, according to the two companies, I-O Data is compensating Microsoft.
“In recent years, Microsoft has entered into patent agreements with other leading companies that use Linux for their embedded devices, including Brother International Corp, Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd, Kyocera Mita Corp., LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and TomTom International BV,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Softpedia.
Just a week ahead of the I-O Data deal, Microsoft announced a Linux-related patent agreement with ecommerce giant Amazon.com.