microsoft12121After years of wrangling over Google’s Chrome and Android technologies, Microsoft and the search giant announced a wide-ranging legal settlement this afternoon.

Here’s a joint statement that the two companies released today:

“Microsoft and Google are pleased to announce an agreement on patent issues. As part of the agreement, the companies will dismiss all pending patent infringement litigation between them, including cases related to Motorola Mobility. Separately, Google and Microsoft have agreed to collaborate on certain patent matters and anticipate working together in other areas in the future to benefit our customers.”

The settlement is believed to affect as many as 20 outstanding cases between the companies. Microsoft declined to comment beyond the statement issued today.

The companies have battled in court since 2010 over technologies like Google’s Android operating system and royalties demanded by Motorola Mobility, which Google acquired in 2011.

Bloomberg reported today that Microsoft and Google will work together, along with Amazon.com and Netflix, to develop “royalty-free, video-compression technology to speed downloads” while also lobbying for a unified patent system in Europe.

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