Engadget has an article about the end of a decade long patent war between Microsoft and Google. This is good news at a variety of levels. As the article note, they both finally realized that most of the arguments are about moot points where the cat is out of the bag. My favorite part is that it allows them both to focus on innovation and getting the job done rather than argue over arcane software related concepts…..
And just like that, another one of the tech industry’s epic patent battles is coming to a close. Google and Microsoft have dropped all 20 (!) of the lawsuits they’ve filed against each other, ending their five-year dispute over everything ranging from phones (Microsoft’s main gripe) to Xbox video playback (Google’s gripe, and formerly Motorola’s). The two will now partner both on technology as a whole and on “certain patent matters,” such as building a royalty-free video format that prevents these kinds of legal fights in the first place. The truce is no doubt a relief if you’re tired of seeing endless stores about the lawsuits (guilty!), although it’s not a complete shock if you’ve been following changes in corporate culture.
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