Microsoft and Google end patent battles

According to Reuters, Microsoft Corp and Google Inc have agreed to bury all patent infringement litigation against each other, the companies announced on last month, settling 18 cases in the United States and Germany. 

In another sign of the winding down of the global smartphone wars, the companies said the deal puts an end to court fights involving a variety of technologies, including mobile phones, WiFi, and patents used in Microsoft's Xbox game consoles and other Windows products.The agreement also drops all litigation involving Motorola Mobility, which Google sold to Lenovo Group Ltd last year while keeping its patents. 

However, as Microsoft and Google continue to make products that compete directly with each other, including search engines and mobile computing devices, the agreement notably does not preclude any future infringement lawsuits, a Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed.