Microsoft said on Tuesday it struck a licensing deal with phone handset maker HTC, under which it will get royalty payments on HTC phones running Android. Microsoft, which holds a wide range of software patents, did not say exactly what technology in the phones the agreement concerns.
The deal comes as smartphones using Google’s new operating system — which Google allows phone makers to use for free — gain in popularity. Microsoft charges handset makers like HTC and others to use its Windows phone software.
The smartphone market is riven with legal disputes as software companies and handset makers wrangle over who deserves compensation for technology behind new devices which go well beyond traditional mobile phones.
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