Microsoft and Amazon signed a ‘patent cross-license agreement’

Microsoft signed a patent cross-license agreement with Amazon.com, that provides each company with access to other’s patent portfolio and covers a broad range of products and technology, including coverage for Amazon’s popular e-reading device, Kindle, which employs both open source and Amazon’s proprietary software components, and Amazon’s use of Linux-based servers. Although specific terms of the agreement are confidential, Microsoft indicated that Amazon.com will pay Microsoft an undisclosed amount of money under the agreement. “We’re pleased to have entered into this patent license agreement with Amazon.com,” said Horacio Gutierrez. “Microsoft’s patent portfolio is the largest and strongest in the software industry, and this agreement demonstrates our mutual respect for intellectual property as well as our ability to reach pragmatic solutions to IP issues regardless of whether proprietary or open source software is involved.”