TomTom to be sued by Microsoft for patent infringement

Microsoft Corp. announced that it is going to initiate a lawsuit against TomTom NV, Europe's largest maker of car-navigation devices, with the patent infringement complaints filed in federal court and with the International Trade Commission. The suit was filed "after attempting for more than a year to engage in licensing discussions with TomTom” explains Microsoft's deputy general counsel of intellectual property, Horacio Gutierrez.

Gutierrez says that those patents are related to "innovations in car-navigation technology and other computing functionality," and have been licensed by other, unnamed companies. He also added that the company is still open for discussions with TomTom to resolve the situation. TomTom Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Amsterdam-based TomTom, was also mentioned in the complaint.

Microsoft alleges that in June last year it reported to TomTom that the company was breaching 8 of its patents. Now Microsoft is pursuing unspecified damages and a permanent injunction.