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Microsoft signed another agreement with Linspire.This time is about a technical collaboration and includes protection for Linspire's customers against Microsoft's claims of Linux patent infringements.

Linspire will be providing its customers with the option of acquiring a patent covenant from Microsoft for customers operating the Linspire desktop.

Microsoft claims that the widely used Linux operating system and related open-source software infringe on some 235 of its patents. While that declaration is adamantly opposed by members of the open-source community, the legal eagles at Microsoft have been busy making cross-licensing deals with such companies as Novell, Samsung, LG Electronics, Xandros, and others, to provide protection against the infringement claim. Each license agreement has included protection for the partnering company's customers from Microsoft claims of Linux patent infringement.

The Linspire agreement details a wide variety of technical projects to 'enhance interoperability and expand the functionality of Linspire' for working with Microsoft products.

Document format compatibility, including open-source translators for OpenOffice and Microsoft Office are some of the benefits of this agreement.For instant messaging, Linspire will use a Microsoft codec for voice-enabled interoperability between Linspire's Pidgin instant messaging client and Microsoft's Office Communicator and Windows Live Messenger clients.

Also will be provided support for audio and video codecs for Windows Media 10. Another notable part of the deal is that Windows Live Search will now be the default search engine of Linspire 5.0. Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo have been vigorously battling for search engine placements with their partners.

Analists say that this deal is more about bridge-building for Microsoft and the Linux camp than about walling off patent partners.