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HTC to use Microsoft patents in handsets
29 April 2010
HTC has licensed Microsoft patents for use in its handsets that work with Google’s Android software
Taiwanese cell phone maker HTC has signed a licensing agreement to use Microsoft’s patents in handsets powered by Google’s Android software. The deal has enabled Microsoft to lay its first claim on some of the intellectual property used in Android, complicating the issue for Google, which owns the Android software.
Microsoft believes the Android mobile platform infringes on a range of its patents covering user interfaces and mobile operating systems. It is seeking to licence its handset technology to resolve IP infringement by other companies.
HTC will pay Microsoft an undisclosed amount to use its intellectual property in phones running Android. The company licences technology from others as a standard practice.
While HTC makes Android phones, it is also one of Microsoft’s most important mobile partners. The manufacturer is seeking to turnaround its mobile business with the launch of a new operating system, Windows Phone 7. GTB