By Sudarshana Banerjee

Microsoft and Compal Electronics have signed a patent agreement that provides broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for Compal’s tablets, mobile phones, e-readers and other consumer devices running the Android or Chrome Platform.  Although the contents of the agreement have not been disclosed, the parties indicate that Microsoft will receive royalties from Compal under the agreement.

“Together with the license agreements signed in the past few months with Wistron and Quanta Computer, today’s agreement with Compal means more than half of the world’s ODM industry for Android and Chrome devices is now under license to Microsoft’s patent portfolio,” said Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft.  “We are proud of the continued success of our licensing program in resolving IP issues surrounding Android and Chrome,” he added.

Since Microsoft launched its IP licensing program in December 2003, the company has entered into more than 700 licensing agreements.

More information about Microsoft’s licensing programs is available here.

(Sudarshana Banerjee is consulting editor with techtaffy.com. She can be reached at sudarshana@techtaffy.com)