Nintendo has signed a patent licensing agreement with Dutch technology giant Philips, closing out a series of patent disputes between the two companies that's been brewing since 2011. Under the announced terms of the agreement the companies will cross-license portions of each other's patent portfolios, and Philips will drop its ongoing patent infringement lawsuits against Nintendo over the technology built into the DS, Wii and Wii U consoles. Further terms of the agreement, including any potential financial obligations, have not been publicly disclosed. Earlier this year, Philips took legal action against Nintendo for allegedly infringing on the Dutch company's patents for "interactive virtual modelling products" and "human-computer interaction features" in the U.S. and three other countries; Nintendo subsequently lost one of the lawsuits in the UK Patents Court, then moved to appeal the decision. The ensuing legal agreement between the two companies seems like less than a clear-cut victory for Nintendo, which has won legal victories in multiple patent disputes this year and established a reputation for vociferously defending itself against patent trolls.
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