Microsoft and Amazon sign patent agreement

Microsoft and Amazon have signed a cross-licence patent agreement to swap access to intellectual property, including that relating to Amazon's Kindle e-book reader.

The companies said that the specifics of the deal will be kept secret, and that Amazon will pay an undisclosed sum to Microsoft.

Amazon will use the access to improve integration between Microsoft products and its proprietary and open source programs, while also avoiding any future litigation.

"We are pleased to have entered into this patent licence agreement with Amazon.com," said Horacio Gutiérrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel for intellectual property and licensing at Microsoft.

"Microsoft's patent portfolio is the largest and strongest in the software industry, and this agreement demonstrates our mutual respect for intellectual property as well as our ability to reach pragmatic solutions to intellectual property issues regardless of whether proprietary or open-source software is involved."

Microsoft has signed around 600 similar agreements in recent years, including with Apple, HP, LG Electronics, Novell, Samsung and Fuji Xerox.