RSSMicrosoft, Epson Cross-License Patents
By the Betanews Staff | Published November 13, 2006, 2:57 PM
Microsoft and Epson announced an agreement Monday that would allow their respective companies access to each other's patent portfolios and incorporate those technologies into its products. The patents cover a wide variety of consumer and business applications, and extend an already-present relationship between the two companies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The agreement with Epson is not a first for Microsoft. The company already has similar cross-licensing arrangements with companies such as Cisco, NEC, Nortel Networks, Siemens, SAP and Toshiba. Epson is an active patent filer; last year, it was third in published patents in Japan. Both companies also plan to extend their relations to mutually assist one another in protecting intellectual property, Epson said.
Microsoft time and time again has screwed their partners. The latest example is all the playforsure partners that microsoft had that they dumped all over. Another example was apple in the mid 80's. Microsoft has a plan they are not stupid. I guess I dont really understand what epson has that microsoft could care bout. Unless of course microsoft will be putting out a printer now as well. I wouldn't be surprised we will soon see.
As for novell and the linux deal we all know there is a inside story to that. I have no doubt that microsoft will be using not novell's patents, but rather linux's patents. But some loop hole in the contract will prevent anyone from saying anything.
Microsoft will not rest until it is the only company left standing in every market there is. Software, hardware you name it portable music players, game consoles and soon it looks like, printers.
Microsoft is a dangerous company in deed. They are like a virus of the industry. They enter a market, destroy whatever is currently there and start to consume all the rervenue and profit of that area. Then use that profit to move again. While taking competition, consumer confidence and everything else with it. Every other market has its fairly equal counterparts. Amd has intel, Ati (now amd( has nvidia. Computer oem's have all other oem's and microsoft has no one who is really a threat.
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