Microsoft And Google Decide To Kiss, Make Up And Drop All Those Pesky Patent Lawsuits

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Giant technology companies — they’re just like us! Instead of continuing to duke it out over a slew of patent infringement claims in court, Microsoft and Google have decided that peace is the answer, and have announced they’re dropping all pending litigation against each other.

Microsoft and Google are burying the hatchet, settling all 18 cases in the United States and Germany, the two companies said on Wednesday, reports Reuters.

The move will put a bunch of court fights to bed, involving everything from a number of technologies, including mobile phones, WiFi and patents Microsoft uses for its Xbox game consoles and other Windows products.

It also ends all litigation over Motorola Mobility, a company Goole sold to Lenovo last year while holding on to its patents.

It’s not like these two are going to be best friends forever anytime soon, as they still make competing products — Bing and Google search engines, mobile devices, etc. — and it doesn’t mean they won’t ever sue each other over infringement in the future, a Microsoft spokeswoman noted.

“Google and Microsoft have agreed to collaborate on certain patent matters and anticipate working together in other areas in the future to benefit our customers,” the companies said in a joint statement, without adding information about what the financial terms of the deal may be.

Microsoft, Google stand down in patent battles [Reuters]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist