Japan's Toshiba signs cross licensing pact with Microsoft - update 1

05/13/05 - newratings.com

LONDON, May 13 (newratings.com) – Notebook computer manufacturer Toshiba Corp (TSE1) Friday announced that it has reached a cross-licensing agreement with software major Microsoft Corp (MSFT) in a bid to avoid patent disputes.

A spokesman for Toshiba Corp said the agreement between the two companies was signed in late April. The deal allows the two companies to use each other’s patents on computers and digital electronics technologies. Although Microsoft already has a number of cross-licensing agreements with companies such as Sun Microsystems, Siemens AG and SAP AG, this is the company’s first agreement with a Japanese electronics maker. The financial aspects of the deal have, however, not been revealed. The deal would enable the two companies to avoid lengthy discussions and patent costs when they plan to use each other’s technologies.