In an evident move towards greater transparency, software giant Microsoft launched a Patent Tracker web tool on Thursday; thereby enabling the users of the tool to check out the patents owned by the company, and also download a list of all the Microsoft-owned patents in CSV format.

The Patent Tracker tool launched by Microsoft allows anyone to search the company’s entire portfolio of 40,785 patents; with the search of patents possible not only through patent number, country, and title, but also on the basis of whether a particular patent is held by Microsoft itself or a subsidiary of the company.

About the key objective behind Microsoft’s roll out of the Patent Tracker tool, the company’s general counsel Brad Smith said that the tool is aimed at creating greater transparency, so that those who may otherwise illegally use Microsoft's patents without permission now have a way to check out the intellectual property that is owned by Microsoft.

Noting that the fundamental aim of the patent system is to provide notice pertaining to inventions, both about the nature of what has been invented and who owns the patent, Smith said in a blog post that Microsoft is hopeful that other patent holders will also offer similar transparency into their intellectual property holdings, so as to curb patent abuse.

Smith said: "Transparency around patent ownership will help prevent gamesmanship by companies that seek to lie in wait and 'hold up' companies rather than enable a well-functioning secondary market."