Citing growing fears of litigation in the IT industry, Microsoft Thursday said it has expanded a program that helps protect PC makers and other partners against intellectual property litigation related to the use of its software.
When disputes over intellectual property arise, a defendant’s channel partners are often also pursued over the alleged intellectual property violations, Microsoft said in a statement.
The software maker already offers indemnity to certain partners that use its products. Thursday’s announcement extends that protection to a wider range of system builders and software vendors. It also removes a cap on the amount of legal fees it is prepared to pay, and adds trade secrets to the types of intellectual property disputes it will help to cover. The list already included cases related to software patents, copyrights and trademarks.
Microsoft has helped partners with intellectual property cases in the past. For example, a few years ago it provided assistance for Gateway and Dell when Lucent filed patent suits against them related to Microsoft software.
The coverage extends to current and future versions of its software, including Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange Server, its Office suite and Windows operating systems, the Redmond, Wash., company said. Microsoft has retained a cap on how much it will pay to cover damages and settlement fees.
The program covers partner companies that account for approximately $18 billion in Microsoft software revenue annually, the company said. Those partners include PC makers, builders and distributors, as well as independent software vendors.
