Intellectual property and open innovation

Microsoft is committed to responsible intellectual property management, including the creation of a healthy patent ecosystem around the world that promotes and encourages innovation.

Microsoft products and services—including images, text, and software downloads (the "content")—are owned either by Microsoft Corporation or by third parties who have granted Microsoft permission to use the content.

Microsoft is grateful for the trust that people place in our products, services, and experiences. Our Trademark and Brand Guidelines detail how you can help us protect Microsoft’s brand assets, including logos, names, and app and product icons, and the trust that they represent.

Microsoft is all in on open source. We believe that collaborative development through the open source process accelerates innovation. As one of the largest open source collaborators in the world, Microsoft shares innovation in open ecosystems for everyone to improve and build upon with us.

Our investments in research and development help create new and better Microsoft products, services, and experiences for the benefit of our customers. We offer several technology transfer programs that accelerate product development.

Through our Open Data Campaign, we’re working to close the ‘data divide’ and help organizations of all sizes to realize the benefits of data and the new technologies it powers.