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US: Merger comes with tsunami of Nokia patents for Microsoft

By  |  September 5, 2013

The recently announced deal between smartphone makers Microsoft and Nokia has sparked a complex web of patent agreements between the two companies, say reports.

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    The two announced earlier this week that Microsoft pans to acquire Nokia’s handset operations and license various patents. The news follows an already-established agreement between the two for cross patent licensing, formed in 2011.

    Now, reports are exploring the new patent agreements, which includes 8,500 design patents to be acquired by Microsoft. Additionally, Microsoft will non-exclusively license 30,000 utility patents for $2.7 billion.

    Together, the patents make up nearly all of Nokia’s portfolio, except for its Nokia Siemens Network infrastructure patents.

    Microsoft will reportedly use these patents for a variety of products in addition to smartphones.

    In an interview, Microsoft Executive Vice President Brad Smith said the company aimed to snag Nokia’s patents due to their “substantial value.”

    Full Content: ZDNet

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