So now Microsoft has joined the contest, announcing intellectual property (IP) licensing agreements with a series of what is calls "high-growth companies." The word from Redmond is that the companies "will utilize Windows fonts, a set of traffic-related technologies from Microsoft Research and Windows Connect Now technology to pursue new business opportunities."

Companies on the list include Ascender Corp., Inrix, D-Link, Lexar Media Inc., I-O Data Device, GoVideo and SMC Networks. This news comes in the metaphorical wake created by respective recent announcements by Sun Microsytems and IBM to make 1,600 and 500 patents available. Is Microsoft's move a matter of coincidental timing or a sharp rejoinder to its competitors?

The sub-text to the announcement may also be part of what Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig recently opined was Microsoft's latest efforts to crush the Linux operating system. Lessig, speaking at the Open Source Business Conference in San Francisco said, "We hear a huge sucking sound out of Redmond," according to one report. "A sucking sound of them hiring as many patent lawyers as (they) can produce."

Meanwhile, Redmond said this week certainly had its new licensees sticking up for its approach. "Innovation does not happen in a vacuum," said Keith A. Karlsen, executive vice president of D-Link in an official statement. "Companies need to collaborate to innovate, and licensing such technologies as WCN helps us maintain our competitive edge in the home connectivity market by making the installation and operation of D-Link digital home devices easier and ultimately more enjoyable for the end-user consumer."

"IP licensing agreements benefit more than just the companies signing the deal," stated Ira Mirochnick, Ascender's CEO and founder in his official statement. "Our customers reap the benefits of this type of collaboration. The end result of this IP licensing agreement is more flexible and useful customized fonts for our mutual customers."

Bryan Mistele, CEO of Inrix, added his two cents. "Microsoft Research's SmartPhlow, JamBayes and ZoneZoom technologies provide us with a unique value proposition: the ability to literally predict the future and enable answers to questions never before possible." And I-O Data Device's Yoshihiko Kiriyama his: "Licensing WCN technology is an opportunity for our company to grow and our technology to advance. We depend upon such cross-industry collaboration with Microsoft to promote our products to the global consumer and OEM markets."

Let the Games begin!