Microsoft Sues Foxconn Parent for Missing Patent-Licensing Payments

Tech giant Microsoft is taking legal action against Foxconn parent Hon Hai, after the Taiwanese consumer-electronics manufacturer allegedly failed to comply with a patent-licensing agreement from 2013.

The Windows-maker, Microsoft  in the lawsuit filed on Friday accused Foxconn of failing to provide twice-yearly royalty reports concerning certain unspecified products and has not made royalty payments on time. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

"Microsoft takes its own contractual commitments seriously and we expect other companies to do the same. This legal action is simply to exercise the reporting and audit terms of a contract we signed in 2013 with Hon Hai," CNBC quoted a Microsoft spokesperson as saying on Saturday
In 2017, Foxconn had agreed to be audited by a third party - Deloitte - but the company has still not submitted any documents that were requested, the filing noted.

Hence, Microsoft is suing for royalty repayment with interest, a review of Hon Hai's books and attorney fees, the report added.
"Our working relationship with Hon Hai is important and we are working to resolve our disagreement," the spokesperson said.
It remains unclear what products were covered under the agreement.

March 11, 2019