Microsoft Corporation and Samsung Electronics have agreed to a broad, cross-licensing patent agreement covering Samsung"s existing and future product lines. The deal also gives Microsoft access to Samsung"s intellectual property related to digital media and computers and apparently includes a controversial clause that protects against any legal claims Microsoft may have on technology used in Linux. Financial terms were not released, but the companies said they would receive payments for the use of their respective technology. Within the joint press release announcing the deal, the companies said, "Samsung and its distributors and customers may utilize Microsoft"s patents in Samsung"s products with proprietary software, and Samsung will also obtain coverage from Microsoft for its customers" use of certain Linux-based products."
It appears Microsoft has extended to Samsung legal protection similar to what the software maker gave Novell in a deal announced in November 2006. Microsoft and Novell agreed not to sue each other over intellectual property within Windows and Suse Linux, Novell"s distribution of the open-source operating system. Microsoft confirmed that the Samsung deal related to Linux is "very similar" to the one with Novell.