Patent Agreement Drives Collaboration, Innovation and Consumer Benefit
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"Microsoft Corp. and Nikon Corp. have signed a patent cross-licensing agreement to further the development of each company’s current and future product lines. The agreement covers digital cameras made by Nikon as well as a broad range of other consumer products each company manufactures and sells. |
Microsoft and Nikon have a long history of collaborating to bring high-quality, cutting-edge consumer products to the market, including wireless cameras and RAW processing technologies. The companies believe that this patent cross-licensing agreement will substantially benefit customers of consumer products including digital cameras. Both parties will be able to innovate openly with each others’ technologies, enabling new features and products to come to market."
This is how a press release today from Microsoft announced a new patent cross licensing agreement with camera and optical products manufacturer Nikon. For the full press release click Here.
Patents are a current fact of life. They are one tool for protecting the intellectual property that is created by investment in innovation. It is also a fact that a lot of people find patents inconvenient - costly, constraining, legalistic and divisive. Such views may or may not in any particular circumstance demonstrate the challenges of living in a global market economy.
The reality of life is that the patent system exists and - judging by the number of concerns expressed recently about Australia's patent performance as a measure of our innovation - it is not going away any time soon.
As IP Australia states on its Website:
"Patents give effective protection if you have invented new technology that will lead to a product, composition or process with significant long-term commercial gain".
Intellectual property licensing is an effective way for individuals and businesses to collaborate and to drive product innovation - and to obtain commercial gain from their investment. Until someone comes up with an even better way to provide economic opportunity and legal certainty to those willing to invest their capital in research and development, I am thinking the patent is here to stay.
That is not to say there are not good reasons to look for a more efficient and effective patent system - across the world.
Simon Edwards, Manager, Government & Industry Affairs
