Microsoft And HTC Sign A Software Agreement

Microsoft have said to signed a licensing agreement with mobile phone handset manufacturer HTC, under which it will obtain royalty payments on HTC mobile phones running Google’s Android operating system.

Microsoft, which owns an array of software patents, didn’t say exactly what technology in the phones the agreement concerns.

The deal comes as smartphones using Google’s new OS – which Google allows phone manufacturers to use for free – gain in popularity. Microsoft charges handset makers like HTC and the like to use its Windows phone software.

The smartphone marketplace is riddled with legal disputes as software companies and handset manufacturers wrangle over who warrants pay out for technology behind new units which go well beyond traditional mobiles.

In March, Apple sued HTC over its Android phones, accusing it of infringing 20 hardware and software patents relevant to the iPhone. HTC makes a lot of Android-powered phones, for example the HTC Desire and the HTC Legend.

This deal signals that Microsoft is not gonna start a similar legal patent challenge with HTC over Android phones. Licensing arrangements are standard procedure for Microsoft, that has similar deals with more than six hundred companies.