Google and Microsoft have been fighting it out in court for as long as we can remember, but this week the two tech giants finally came to an agreement. The companies announced in a joint statement that they’re putting an end to five years of litigation and 20 different lawsuits.
The two firms also agreed to share some patents and work together on new products as part of the deal. “Google and Microsoft have agreed to collaborate on certain patent matters and anticipate working together in other areas in the future to benefit our customers,” the companies note.
The dispute dates back to 2010, when Microsoft claimed that Android devices were using its patented technology and features without paying. Motorola, which Google owned at the time, was also pushing for royalty payments over the Xbox console’s video playback feature.
Thankfully, it looks like that’s all been resolved, and the two companies can hopefully focus on actually working together in the future. We’ve recently seen Microsoft team up with its long-time rival Apple, and we’re excited to see what similar collaboration with Google will yield.