Microsoft v. TomTom: Both parties emerge mostly unscathed

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.