News
Microsoft Ups IP Protection for OEM, ISV Partners
- By Becky Nagel
- July 05, 2005
Microsoft Corp. recently added protections to its indemnification protection
for original equipment manufacturers and independent software vendor partners
to help shield them from intellectual property lawsuits that may arise in relation
to their distribution of Microsoft products.
OEMs, OEM distributors, system builders and ISV Royalty partners are now all
protected for trade secret claims. System Builders have been given new benefits,
including patent, copyright, damages and settlement fees and no-cap legal defense
fees. OEMs and OEM distributors have also been given no-cap legal defense fees
plus damages and settlement fees.
Microsoft said the coverage extends to future versions of its software, such
as Longhorn.
'This is a part of our ongoing efforts to respond to the requests of customers
and partners," said Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel
at Microsoft. "Our partners are telling us that IP issues are becoming
increasingly complex, and they appreciate that Microsoft stands behind them
and our products."
Resellers, distributors, retail and OEM embedded retain their current coverage.
To view a chart outlining the coverage per partner type, go here.
About the Author
Becky Nagel is the former editorial director and director of Web for 1105 Media's Converge 360 group, and she now serves as vice president of AI for company, specializing in developing media, events and training for companies around AI and generative AI technology. She's the author of "ChatGPT Prompt 101 Guide for Business Users" and other popular AI resources with a real-world business perspective. She regularly speaks, writes and develops content around AI, generative AI and other business tech. Find her on X/Twitter @beckynagel.