Intellectual Property
Software innovation is at the heart of Microsoft’s business. With an annual R&D; budget of over $9 billion, no other software company invests as much in innovation. Protecting this innovation is at the heart of what the Legal and Corporate Affairs’ Intellectual Property group does every day.
Microsoft views intellectual property as a strategic asset that provides significant value to the company and its customers and partners. In today’s dynamic IT environment, a flexible, collaborative and strategic use of IP is the best way to promote innovation. One of the most important ways we facilitate this collaboration is through IP licensing agreements. Over the last six years, Microsoft has engaged in over 600 inbound and outbound licensing agreements. The result is that Microsoft’s IP is used not only by Microsoft, but by start-ups, customers, partners and even competitors.
We are recognized by our industry peers and the trade press has having one of the highest quality patent portfolios in the industry. We participate in discussions involving IP policy, with a focus on creating a sustainable environment for future innovation. And we are at the forefront of a strong anti-piracy effort that both educates and protect consumers and targets the criminal organizations that are doing so much harm to end-users and local economies.
To learn more about Microsoft’s Intellectual Property offerings and how we are helping to drive innovation, please click on one of the links below:
CopyrightsTrademarksIP LicensingLicensing TermsTerms of UsePiracy