<b><i>Online Extra:</b></i> Google, Microsoft Strike Patent Peace Deal

Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. have buried the hatchet on five years of patent litigation.

The companies issued a joint statement on Sept. 30 announcing the conclusion of 20 cases being litigated in the United States and Europe. The agreement comes a week after a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decision resolving one of their most prominent disputes.

'As part of the agreement, the companies will dismiss all pending patent infringement litigation between them, including cases related to Motorola Mobility,' Microsoft and Google said in a joint statement. 'Separately, 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.'

Google and Microsoft joined Amazon, Netflix and others earlier this month in'announcing plans'for creating a 'next generation,' royalty-free streaming-media format. Google and Microsoft are also part of a group of technology companies that have'lobbied the European Union'on the rules for a unified patent court.

The two have been duking it out against each other in federal court in'Washington state'and Wisconsin, the'U.S. International Trade Commission, and'in Germany. Microsoft scored a big victory earlier this year when the Ninth Circuit'affirmed a $15 million judgment, agreeing that Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility had breached a promise to license WiFi and video-compression technology at fair and reasonable royalties. The Ninth Circuit's decision became final Sept. 24.

It was not immediately clear whether the licenses flow beyond Google and Motorola to Google's Android operating system partners. Microsoft is said to generate'billions in revenues from licensing to Android partners, and Android has been'behind much of the litigation'between Microsoft and Motorola.

'

Scott Graham'writes for'The Recorder, the San Francisco-based ALM sibling of'The Intellectual Property Strategist. He can be reached at'[email protected].

Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. have buried the hatchet on five years of patent litigation.

The companies issued a joint statement on Sept. 30 announcing the conclusion of 20 cases being litigated in the United States and Europe. The agreement comes a week after a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decision resolving one of their most prominent disputes.

'As part of the agreement, the companies will dismiss all pending patent infringement litigation between them, including cases related to Motorola Mobility,' Microsoft and Google said in a joint statement. 'Separately, 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.'

Google and Microsoft joined Amazon, Netflix and others earlier this month in'announcing plans'for creating a 'next generation,' royalty-free streaming-media format. Google and Microsoft are also part of a group of technology companies that have'lobbied the European Union'on the rules for a unified patent court.

The two have been duking it out against each other in federal court in'Washington state'and Wisconsin, the'U.S. International Trade Commission, and'in Germany. Microsoft scored a big victory earlier this year when the Ninth Circuit'affirmed a $15 million judgment, agreeing that Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility had breached a promise to license WiFi and video-compression technology at fair and reasonable royalties. The Ninth Circuit's decision became final Sept. 24.

It was not immediately clear whether the licenses flow beyond Google and Motorola to Google's Android operating system partners. Microsoft is said to generate'billions in revenues from licensing to Android partners, and Android has been'behind much of the litigation'between Microsoft and Motorola.

'

Scott Graham'writes for'The Recorder, the San Francisco-based ALM sibling of'The Intellectual Property Strategist. He can be reached at'[email protected].