Nikon and Microsoft Share Patents

Nikon and Microsoft have signed a patent cross-licensing agreement to further the development of each company’s current and future product lines. Nikon’s digital cameras and other consumer products from both companies are included in the agreement. “At Nikon, we want to continue to lead the industry in pioneering photography solutions and give our customers access to innovative technology,” said Naoki Tomino, Director, Member of the Board, General Manager of Intellectual Property Headquarters at Nikon. “This agreement is a natural extension of our longstanding relationship with Microsoft and we look forward to collaborating and bringing exciting new products to the market.”

Nikon Press Release

Agreement furthers Microsoft and Nikon collaboration on new products and features in digital imaging

Microsoft and Nikon Enter Into Patent Cross-Licensing Agreement

REDMOND, Wash., and TOKYO —, August 28, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. and Nikon Corporation 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 wells 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, Washington. The contents of the agreement have not been disclosed.

Microsoft and Nikon have a long history of collaborating to bring high quality and cutting edge consumer products to the market, including wireless camera and RAW processing technologies. The companies believe that this patent cross license agreement will have substantial benefits for consumers and 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.

“At Nikon, we want to continue to lead the industry in pioneering photography solutions and give our customers access to innovative technology,” said Naoki Tomino, Director, Member of the Board, General Manager of Intellectual Property Headquarters at Nikon. “This agreement is a natural extension of our longstanding relationship with Microsoft and we look forward to collaborating and bringing exciting new products to the market.”

“This agreement will extend and enhance our already successful, long standing collaboration with Nikon, and will allow us to provide even better products to our customers” said Josh Weisberg, Director of the Rich Media Group at Microsoft.

“This agreement is another great example of how industry leaders are coming together to collaborate through intellectual property licensing, and by doing so enabling innovation which that will ultimately benefit the consumer,” said Horacio Gutierrez, vice president of intellectual property and licensing at Microsoft. “We are proud of the quality of our broad, global patent portfolio, and we are pleased to be working with an industry leader like Nikon.”

Published: Thursday, August 28, 2008

Reader Comments

1. I wonder what Microsoft is thinking about in the future with the Nikon technology. I think that Nikon might become more an more integrated into Microsoft Services, but I cant imagine what Nikon would get out of this deal

   Nabil at 01:52am on Friday, August 29, 2008

2. Obvious. Nikon will code their interface using .Net,and the images will be browsed using IE8.0
   
   Now not joking, it sounds more like a cross-patent war coverups: I won't sue you if you dont' sue me. Both will have filed patents on imaging and neither want to enter lawsuits. Or maybe even Microsoft wants to support nikon raw files properly, and there's bits and parts that nobody seems to have gotten it right except for Nikon themselves.
   
   We will never know =)

   obvious at 01:34am on Saturday, August 30, 2008

3. So.........
   
   Canon+Apple
   
   Nikon+Microsoft.
   
   
   Sad................ why did they have to go this way?

   AA at 03:41am on Saturday, August 30, 2008

4. What is the tie up with Canon and Apple? Are they using Canon tech on their iPhone or their other products?

   Nabil at 02:37am on Sunday, August 31, 2008

5. Seemed the Nikon-Microsoft collaboration has ruined at least Nikon's new semi-pro P&S;. What a shame. Microsoft poisons everything it touches...

   fxk at 06:48pm on Thursday, September 04, 2008