TomTom, Microsoft settle patent dispute

REDMOND, Wash., March 30 (UPI) -- TomTom agreed Monday to pay U.S. software giant Microsoft an undisclosed sum and remove features from its car navigation systems to settle a patent dispute.

Microsoft filed claims in February that TomTom had violated eight file management and navigation system patents, InformationWeek reported.

In its suit, Microsoft sought to license the patents to TomTom or stop it from selling devices that used its technology.

The open source community, which advocates for public accessibility to information, feared the litigation could escalate to a campaign against Linux adopters by Microsoft, Aars Technica reported.

But the agreement "is drafted in a way that ensures TomTom's full compliance with its obligations ... and thus reaffirms our commitment to the open source community," said TomTom intellectual property director Peter Spours in a statement.