27 April 2012, 14:24

Pegatron latest to take a Microsoft "Android" licence

Microsoft vs Android Microsoft has announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with Pegatron, a Taiwanese contract manufacturer. The agreement gives Pegatron patent coverage "for a broad array of Pegatron products including eReaders, smartphones and tablets running the Android or Chrome platforms". As is typical of these deals, no terms have been disclosed except that Pegatron will pay Microsoft royalties. Also not disclosed, as usual, is any detail of which specific patents Microsoft believes Android device makers need licenses for.

"With this agreement, Microsoft has now licensed four of the top five Taiwanese ODMs" said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel. Microsoft has been approaching the ODMs (Original Device Manufacturers) who produce devices for numerous clients. Last October, it signed similar deals with Quanta and Compal. When it did a patent deal with LG in January, Microsoft said that 70 per cent of all US-sold smartphones were being covered by Microsoft patent portfolio licences.

(djwm)

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