On Friday Google and Microsoft announced a mutual agreement to drop regulatory complaints against each other globally, promising to attempt to settle disputes themselves before using governments.
“Microsoft has agreed to withdraw its regulatory complaints against Google, reflecting our changing legal priorities”, said a Microsoft spokesperson according to a statement obtained by tech site Re/code. Google also issued a similar comment.
Microsoft also stated that it won’t take a position on the European Commission’s antitrust charges against Google, which accuse the search giant of holding back competition in its Android licensing terms. Microsoft was at one time a member of ICOMP and FairSearch, groups that filed antitrust complaints against Google, although it is no longer a member of both of those organisation.
The new policy may be thanks to the current leaders of the respective companies, Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella, who have taken a more friendly approach than their predecessors. Microsoft has also taken a multi-platform strategy of late, including developing apps for iOS, Android and the Mac, not only Windows devices.
Also in 2015, the two firms stopped 20 patent lawsuits against each other in the US and Germany, some of which included Motorola-related disputes.
SOURCE: AppleInsider.
Larry Banks is a keen follower of technology and finance. He has worked for a variety of online publications, writing about a diverse range of topics including mobile networks, patents, and Internet video delivery technologies.