http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704423504575211932035669188.html?ru=yahoo&mod=yahoo_hs

"We have consistently taken a proactive approach to licensing to resolve IP infringement by other companies, and have been talking with several device manufacturers to address our concerns relative to the Android mobile platform," said Horacio Gutierrez, deputy general counsel of intellectual property and licensing for Microsoft.

The agreement brings to question how vulnerable Android's platform is to potential disputes over intellectual property. Apple Inc. has sued HTC over 20 hardware and software patents it claims the handset maker is using illegally, in what many see as an indirect attack on Google. Microsoft, meanwhile, has opted to go with the licensing route.