China tech firms buying patents in global push

Hong Kong

FOR decades, Chinese disregard for trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property has frustrated US technology, entertainment and other companies. The next wave of intellectual-property conflict in China won't be fights over pirated software or unauthorised downloads.

Microsoft, which has been a leader in fighting Chinese pirates, this week announced a deal with Xiaomi, maker of some of China's most popular smartphones, to put Skype and Microsoft Office on Xiaomi's Android phones. As part of the deal, Xiaomi is buying nearly 1,500 of Microsoft's patents, covering wireless communications, video, cloud, and multimedia technology.