Microsoft and Motorola Solutions have penned a patent licensing agreement, allowing the hardware manufacture to use the Android and Chrome operating systems.
The deal gives Motorola "worldwide coverage under Microsoft's patent portfolio" according to the statement, meaning Moto no longer needs to worry about being sued by Microsoft for installing the platforms on its devices.
Nick Psyhogeos, general manager and associate general counsel for IP licensing of the innovation and intellectual property group at Microsoft, said: "Microsoft and Motorola Solutions share a respect for intellectual property and a commitment to fair and reasonable patent licensing programs. Microsoft prefers licensing to litigation, since licensing is a more effective way to share technology and accelerate the pace of innovation."
Motorola is the latest manufacturer to sign a deal with Microsoft, after ZTE, Samsung, Dell, Sharp, LG, Barnes & Noble, and HTC were also urged to agree on the use of patents to avoid legal action.
Microsoft prefers licensing to litigation, since licensing is a more effective way to share technology and accelerate the pace of innovation.
Since the Android platform was launched, Microsoft has been trying to stop companies using it without paying a fee for patents it allegedly owns and are embedded into both the Android and Chrome platforms.
Microsoft already gets a small license fee whenever an Android or Chrome device is sold in order "to provide access to Microsoft's significant R&D investments and its growing, broad patent and IP portfolio," the statement reads, even though Google owns both platforms.
Joe White, VP of enterprise mobile computing at Motorola Solutions, said: "We are pleased to have agreed upon a solution that allows our customers to purchase Android products from Motorola Solutions with confidence."
Neither Microsoft nor Motorola Solutions (a separate entity to Google-owned Motorola Mobility) have revealed details of the deal or which patents were infringed.
