Microsoft expands Azure IP Advantage Program with new IP benefits for Azure IoT innovators and startups

By: Erich Andersen

At Microsoft, we’re investing in helping our customers as they move to the cloud.  We see an opportunity to help support companies in this changing environment by bringing our security, privacy, compliance and intellectual property assets and expertise to bear in order to help them be more successful.  We’re excited to now take an additional step that expands innovation protections.

Today, we are pleased to announce the expansion of the Microsoft Azure IP Advantage program to include new benefits for Azure IoT innovators and startups.  We first announced Azure IP Advantage in February 2017, to provide comprehensive protection against intellectual property (IP) risks for our cloud customers.  A trend we saw at the time – and one that continues today – is a growing risk to cloud innovation from patent lawsuits.  Last year, we joined the Open Invention Network (OIN) and the License on Transfer (LOT) Network to help address patent assertion risk for our customers and partners.

But we believe we can do more.  The number of IoT-litigated patents in the U.S. witnessed an increase of more than 400 percent from 2013 to 2018.  That’s why, after speaking to customers and reflecting on how we could add even more value to the Azure IP Advantage program, we decided to expand the program with new benefits focused on the Azure-powered Internet of Things (IoT)ecosystem and startups to help deter lawsuits against Azure customers.  The new features announced today include:

Read more >> https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2019/03/28/microsoft-expands-azure-ip-advantage-program-with-new-ip-benefits-for-azure-iot-innovators-and-startups/