Microsoft signs Samsung for Linux patent protection

The Microsoft/Samsung agreement specifically covers the use of 'certain Linux-based products'

Microsoft and Samsung have signed a patent licensing deal that frees both firms from any intellectual property claims on their products.

The agreement specifically covers the use of "certain Linux-based products" in Samsung devices, the companies said.

Financial details were not disclosed, but both parties will receive monetary payments as compensation for their intellectual property portfolios.

The deal marks a second patent agreement in which Microsoft succeeded in indirectly obtaining licence fees from Linux.

Microsoft has stated publicly that it believes Linux infringes on its intellectual property, although it has never sought to uphold such claims in court.

The company signed an intellectual property licensing agreement with Novell in November that granted a patent licence to users of Novell's SuSE Linux distribution.  

Although several businesses welcomed the deal, it was met with harsh criticism from open source advocates.

The agreement validates Microsoft's intellectual property claims over Linux, but the critics believe that claims were false to begin with. 

The Linux kernel and many other applications that ship with the operating system are governed by the General Public Licence.

An upcoming revision of the licence has been specifically written to prevent patent deals such as those between Microsoft and Novell, and is likely to also block the Samsung agreement.