Crisis averted: Microsoft and TomTom have kissed and made up in their legal skirmish over satnav software patents in the US.
If you’ll recall, Microsoft began court proceedings against TomTom back in February, only for TomTom to hit back with a counter-claim. But all’s well that ends well: Microsoft and TomTom have settled their lawsuits without any blood spilled.
The Wall Street Journal reports that TomTom will now pay Microsoft an undisclosed sum for licensing under eight Microsoft patents related to in-car navigation and file-management, while Redmond will get coverage under four TomTom patents.
The only change you may notice is that TomTom will have to remove functions in its satnavs that fall under Microsoft file-management patents. As yet, there’s no clarification on what those functions might be, or whether TomTom can find a work-around that avoids treading on Microsoft’s toes. We’ll let you know how that plays out.
Out TBC | £TBC | Microsoft, TomTom (Via Wall Street Journal)
