Microsoft, Dell seal Android, Chrome royalty pact

Microsoft Corp and Dell Inc have sealed a patent licensing deal under which Dell will pay the software giant royalties on sales of devices powered by Google Inc's Android or Chrome software.

The two companies will license to each other intellectual property related to Android and Chrome devices, such as "Chromebooks" based on Google's Chrome operating system.

Microsoft is locked in a battle with Google to ensure that handset makers using the free Android phone operating system pay Microsoft a license fee.

Most of the larger handset makers, such as Samsung, LG and HTC, have already agreed to pay Microsoft a royalty on Android smartphones that Microsoft believes may infringe its patents.

Motorola, owned by Google but due to be sold to China's Lenovo, is the last big holdout partly because of its trove of patents.