WorldWide Tech & Science Francisco De Jesús.
Microsoft announced a patent cross licensing agreement with Samsung, which will see it receive royalties for the South Korean vendor’s “mobile phones and tablets running the Android platform.” The companies will also “cooperate in the development and marketing of Windows Phone.”
It was reported earlier this year that Microsoft was targeting Samsung as part of its strategy to generate patent licensing revenue from Android device manufacturers, having already secured a deal with HTC and a number of tier-two vendors. Terms of the current deal have not been disclosed, but a figure of US$10 per handset was previously mooted – if Samsung agreed to a deeper engagement with Windows Phone.
Market watcher Asymco previously said that Microsoft receives more revenue from HTC´s licensing of patents for Android devices than it does for its own Windows Phone platform, and with Samsung closing in fast on the number-one handset vendor spot, the current deal is certainly significant.
Microsoft also has legal actions active with several Android device makers, including (notably) Motorola – which is in the process of being acquired by Google. Indeed, the fact that Microsoft is pursuing this course was seen as an indicator that Motorola’s patent portfolio, one of the motivators for the Google deal, is not enough alone to deter aggressors.
