Microsoft says mobile phone manufacturer ZTE has agreed a licensing deal that provides coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for smartphones and tablets using the Android and Chrome operating systems
Last week Microsoft announced that Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Hon Hai had signed a license agreement covering Hon Hai and its Foxconn subsidiary for devices running Android and Chrome.
In a blog post, Microsoft’s Horacio Gutierrez said “Much of the current litigation in the so called ‘smartphone patent wars’ could be avoided if companies were willing to recognize the value of others’ creations in a way that is fair. At Microsoft, experience has taught us that respect for intellectual property rights is a two-way street, and we have always been prepared to respect the rights of others just as we seek respect for our rights.”
The blog post - which has a URL that contains the phrase ‘with-zte-all-but-two-major-android-makers-choose-licensing’ - ends by saying “We have worked for multiple years to reach an amicable solution with the few global companies who have yet to take a license, but so far they have been unwilling to address these issues in a fair manner. We’d prefer to consider these companies licensing partners and remain hopeful they can join the rest of the industry in the near future.”
Acer, HTC, LG, Samsung and ViewSonic have all previously agreed similar deals with Microsoft.