Microsoft, Lexmark mum on details of new patent deal |
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Microsoft, Lexmark mum on details of new patent deal
Microsoft this morning announced a patent cross-licensing agreement with Lexmark International, the printing and imaging company. Given the dust-up over the Redmond company's recent patent lawsuit against TomTom, the natural question is whether the new patent agreement covers any open-source technologies Lexmark might be using. But Microsoft won't say.
The terms of the licensing agreement are confidential, a representative of the Redmond company explained via email in response to my inquiry this morning: "As with all patent cross-licensing agreements, the specific terms and conditions of each deal are different, and the parties involved determine what elements they choose to discuss publicly based on the deal negotiated by both parties."
According to the news release, the agreement covers "a broad range of products, including Lexmark printers and multifunction products, and Microsoft software products. The agreement allows greater mutual access to each partner’s respective patent portfolio."
Microsoft says it has struck similar licensing deals with printing and imaging companies in the past, including Hewlett-Packard, Brother Industries, Fuji Xerox, and Kyocera Mita.
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