Microsoft put out a press release last week announcing that it had struck a deal with HTC to receive royalties for HTC’s entire lineup of Android devices. CNet is reporting that the deal comes after Microsoft pointed out to HTC that they were using some disputed patents that ranged from the user interface to the Android OS itself. This is the first time Microsoft has publicly said that HTC was violating patents, but they have for years now been muttering about how Linux infringes on some of their patents and have tried to score licensing deals with other manufacturers using Linux.

“HTC and Microsoft have a long history of technical and commercial collaboration, and today’s agreement is an example of how industry leaders can reach commercial arrangements that address intellectual property,” Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of Intellectual Property and Licensing at Microsoft, said in the official statement. “We are pleased to continue our collaboration with HTC.”

HTC is also being sued by Apple for some other patent infringements on both HTC’s Android and Windows Mobile devices, so this deal with Microsoft must be a bit of a relief, at least on one front.

These lawsuits are the norm in the mobile industry and I’d be surprised if there was a single major player that wasn’t being sued and suing some other company as I type. It’s fresh of Microsoft to actually strike a deal instead of resorting immediately to litigation!

[via]