HTC just got a powerful new ally in its patent fight against Apple.
Following Google’s announcement that they would support their frequent manufacturing partner in its defense against complaints made by Apple that HTC handsets infringe upon a number of key iPhone-related patents, Microsoft has issued a press release saying that they have signed a broad patent-sharing agreement with HTC.
According to the agreement, Microsoft will license its patents to HTC across all of their phones. If the phone is a Google Android handset, HTC will pay them a couple bucks in royalties on every handset sold.
This is a big development in the case. Previously, it was reported that HTC was looking to buy Palm in order to gain control of their portfolio of patents, which would allow them a firmer legal footing to battle Apple. HTC eventually backed off from the deal; their agreement with Microsoft may well be the reason why.
This isn’t about Microsoft helping Google: this is about rounding the wagons to fight Apple’s dominant iPhone platform. If Apple is allowed to control all of the core technologies of the modern smartphone, there’ll be no competition possible. Companies like Microsoft and Google may compete in the smartphone space, but unless they successfully defend HTC from a precedent-setting lawsuit, their position in that space is going to shrink even more than it already has.
[via 9to5Mac]
