Microsoft Announces Patent Cross-License Deal With Nikon
I love to see companies I work with on a daily basis agreeing to cooperate and be nice to each other:
Microsoft and Nikon Enter Into Patent Cross-Licensing Agreement
Agreement furthers Microsoft and Nikon collaboration on new products and features in digital imaging.REDMOND, Wash., and TOKYO — Aug. 27, 2008 — 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. The agreement was signed by representatives from both companies at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash. Although the contents of the agreement have not been disclosed, the parties indicated that Microsoft is being compensated by Nikon.
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 other’s technologies, enabling new features and products to come to market. …
The most interesting bit has to be that Nikon is paying MS (how much?)! Hopefully we’ll get much better RAW codec integration with Windows (Vista64 bit does NOT work with the codec- inexcusable.)
MS has also been doing some really interesting things with their Labs department like PhotoSynth.
This is the only camera store that NikonWatch trusts- never any hassle, gimmicks, or problems:
August 28th, 2008 at 10:57 am
As long as this doesn’t negatively impact Mac users. The last thing we want is for Nikon to adopt some proprietary Microsoft image format as their own or pull the NRAW crap they pulled on the P6000.