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"In a new deal announced today, Microsoft and Amazon will gain access to each other's portfolio of patents, including patents related to the Amazon Kindle and the shopping giant's Linux server technology.\nThe patent cross-license deal makes both companies closer allies, as they are now sharing some of their most important intellectual property, although Microsoft didn't specify in its announcement exactly which product IPs it would share with Amazon.  However, it is known that patents for the Amazon Kindle and the shopping giant's Linux server technology are part of the patent-sharing deal.  \nIn addition to the sharing of intellectual property, Amazon has also agreed to pay Microsoft an undisclosed sum.  Microsoft says that it has engaged in more than 600 of these types of agreements, although we bet the Amazon deal is one of the more high-profile agreements.\nDetails are limited at best, and we're e-mailing both sides to get more information. At first glance, though, it seems that Microsoft's interested in bettering its cloud computing and server technology, something Amazon is famous for through Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3).  Its Kindle technology could also be useful to Microsoft in whatever tablet it may build to compete against the Apple iPad."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2010/02/22/microsoft-amazon-deal/>