MS Strengthens IP Protection for Mobile Partners
Microsoft on Thursday strengthened its intellectual property protection for its partners developing devices based on the Windows Embedded and Mobile platforms. The expansion now offers these OEMs comparable IP protection to those offered for other Microsoft products.
Under the plan, the company would now provide protection of patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret claims in every country that Microsoft offers the Embedded and Mobile products and removes the monetary cap related to defense costs.
Suzan DelBene, corporate vice president of the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft said this provides more confidence then ever before for those entities who develop upon Windows Mobile and Embedded products.
"We stand behind our software and partners, and this protection is the best assurance for device-makers using Windows Embedded or Windows Mobile to build amazing devices people won't want to live without," she said in prepared remarks.
Microsoft's partners over the years have told the company that they needed to feel secure using its technology, the company says. Thus, the company has stepped up by increasing its legal protection for its partners over the past two years.
The company also believes that this ends up benefiting the market, as products make it to retail faster and at a lesser cost to the OEM.
"Intellectual property litigation has been increasing steadily for the last several years," Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group said. "Microsoft's indemnification stands as one of the most comprehensive in the market, setting a high bar for competing platforms."
A commitment to the IP rights within its software, including development process controls, inbound licensing of necessary third-party rights, cross-licensing agreements with other industry leaders, and protection of Microsoft innovations through filings for patents and copyrights allow the company to offer strong protection for its partners, Microsoft said.