Fuji Xerox & Microsoft In Cross Licensing Deal

Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd. and Microsoft Corp. have announced a broad patent agreement allowing access to each company's patent portfolios and accelerate research and development. Fuji Xerox, owned by FUJIFILM Holdings Corp. and Xerox Corp., is a global player in research and development related to document management systems and maintain a broad patent portfolio to include patents in the United States and Japan.

"We are pleased to be able to reach a broad, mutually beneficial patent agreement with Microsoft that respects each company's patent portfolio, encourages greater interoperability and provides valuable protection for the customers of each company's products and services," says Kiyoshi Saito, senior vice president of Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd.

"Both Fuji Xerox and Microsoft have a strong commitment to innovation, and the broad patent agreement will give us both the freedom to continue developing and building technologies that will ultimately work better together," says Brad Smith, senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Microsoft.

Hey Everyone!.. This article discusses the new licensing deal between Fuji and Microsoft. Fuji Xerox will get access to Microsoft patents for Fuji's existing and future product lines. That includes products to incorporate proprietary source and open source software. In return, Microsoft will gain access to Fuji patents for Microsoft's existing and future proprietary product lines, including Microsoft Office. The agreement allows both companies receive compensation from patent portfolios.

Senior vice president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, said that the agreement was an example of their desire to share innovations with other companies and build a stronger IT ecosystem through access to intellectual property.

Michele Piccolino

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