“We are pleased to reach this agreement with Salesforce.com to put an end to the litigation between our two companies,” Microsoft Deputy General Counsel Horacio Gutierrez said in a statement. “Microsoft’s patent portfolio is the strongest in the software industry and is the result of decades of software innovation. Today’s agreement is an example of how companies can compete vigorously in the marketplace while respecting each other’s intellectual property rights.”

Microsoft first sued Salesforce.com in May, alleging the company’s CRM services violated nine Microsoft patents. Salesforce.com promptly branded the company a patent troll and “a former leader of industry.” But a month later, it slapped Microsoft with a patent suit of its own and hired David Boies, the former U.S. Justice Department attorney who successfully argued the federal antitrust case against Microsoft, to represent it.

They hate everybody and we love everybody, and that’s pretty much the difference. We even love Microsoft. … This is our core strategy, love.”

– Mark Benioff, Salesforce.com CEO and high priest of love