RSSMicrosoft v. TomTom: Both parties emerge mostly unscathed
By Tim Conneally | Published March 30, 2009, 2:49 PM
Microsoft will be settling with Dutch navigation device maker TomTom in the intellectual property battle in which both parties sued one another for patent infringement.
In Microsoft's suit, TomTom was accused of violating eight patents involved with memory management and file system architecture used in its Linux-based devices. TomTom shot back with a countersuit that accused Microsoft of infringing upon three of its patents, and then promptly became a licensee in the Open Invention Network, a group specializing in the protection and defense of Linux patent holders.
While specifics of today's settlement were not disclosed, Microsoft and TomTom have agreed to a five-year licensing agreement which will cover all of the intellectual properties involved in the two suits. TomTom's patents fall under General Public License, while Microsoft's command a licensing fee.
Requests for comment have been sent to TomTom, Microsoft, and the Open Invention Network.
For Microsoft that was very dangerous as it lost its innocence in terms of using its patents
Score: 0
|That was fast. Guess they just needed a lawsuit or two to move their negotiations along.
Score: 0
|The way I understand it, TomTom started it. Microsoft counter-litigated. TomTom will now be paying out to Microsoft as long as they use Microsoft's tech. TomTom's patents being violated will not be pursued.
Moral of the story, do not try to patent troll Microsoft. Not only is their patent portfolio larger, but they have deeper pockets.
Score: 1
|