A cross-licensing deal ended the legal case that Microsoft had brought against Kyocera over Android patents. The deal allowed both the companies to use each other's technologies in future products.
Microsoft has already signed up patent licensing deals with well-known Andriod phone manufacturing firms like Samsung, LG, HTC and ZTE. In the lawsuit, Microsoft had mentioned three Kyocera handsets such as Duraforce, Hydro and Brigadier for breaching its Android patents,
In March, the Redmond-based tech giant had filed a lawsuit against Kyocera for infringing former's seven patents. It had accused the Japanese company for infringing patents for location services and text messaging, Reuters reported. Microsoft had suggested to a federal judge in Seattle to block the sales of Kyocera products such as the ones mentioned above in the United States.
Since Microsoft has several Android-related patents worth $8.8 billion in its closet, industry experts feel that the company should either sell or shut down its Windows Phone mobile platform operating system and mainly focus on producing Android-powered Microsoft smartphones.
At the end of the previous month, rumors had started flying that Microsoft will be axing Windows Phone OS and start producing Android handsets. The devices would feature both Google and Microsoft apps, Phone Arena reported.
However, with the Redmond-based company fully focused on releasing Windows 10 Mobile OS, it seems that it may not happen so soon. It adds that even if the Redmond-based company decides to quit its smartphone business, it can still make good revenue through Android patents.