Microsoft and Nikon Enter Into Patent Cross-Licensing Agreement
Agreement furthers Microsoft and Nikon collaboration on new products and features in digital imaging
August 28, 2008
REDMOND, Wash., and TOKYO —, August 28, 2008 —
Microsoft Corp. and Nikon Corporation have signed a patent cross-licensing agreement to further the development of each company's current and future product lines.
The agreement covers digital cameras made by Nikon as wells as a broad range of other consumer products each company manufactures and sells. The agreement was signed by representatives from both companies at Microsoft's Headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The contents of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Microsoft and Nikon have a long history of collaborating to bring high quality and cutting edge consumer products to the market, including wireless camera and RAW processing technologies. The companies believe that this patent cross license agreement will have substantial benefits for consumers and customers of consumer products including digital cameras. Both parties will be able to innovate openly with each others' technologies, enabling new features and products to come to market.
"At Nikon, we want to continue to lead the industry in pioneering photography solutions and give our customers access to innovative technology," said Naoki Tomino, Director, Member of the Board, General Manager of Intellectual Property Headquarters at Nikon. "This agreement is a natural extension of our longstanding relationship with Microsoft and we look forward to collaborating and bringing exciting new products to the market."
"This agreement will extend and enhance our already successful, long standing collaboration with Nikon, and will allow us to provide even better products to our customers" said Josh Weisberg, Director of the Rich Media Group at Microsoft.
"This agreement is another great example of how industry leaders are coming together to collaborate through intellectual property licensing, and by doing so enabling innovation which that will ultimately benefit the consumer," said Horacio Gutierrez, vice president of intellectual property and licensing at Microsoft. "We are proud of the quality of our broad, global patent portfolio, and we are pleased to be working with an industry leader like Nikon."
The information is current as of the date of publication. It is subject to change without notice.